Ethnically Speaking by Larry Meeks

Dear Larry: I have a question about working parents who bring their children to their places of employment.

I was in a Starbucks at 11 p.m., and an employee was sitting at a table working on a sign. She had her daughter with her. I estimate the child to be about 2 years old. The little girl was crying and screaming the entire time I was at the store. She was crying most likely for attention or because she was tired and wanted to go home to get some sleep.

Nobody said anything about all of the screaming and yelling. The noise was very loud, and it disturbed the customers. I sympathize with the mother because I know it's a task raising a kid on your own and holding a job that has hours that go into the wee hours of the morning. I also sympathize with the child because one would expect any child to be cranky, given the time of day.

Shouldn't the manager have said something to the employee? I wonder why the manager didn't tell her: "It's too late for your kid to be here. You can go home; I won't hold it against you."

I don't understand why the manager allowed all of this commotion to go on. I don't believe any person would condone having a 2-year-old kid out at 11 at night.

Another thing: One would think the manager would not want a screaming kid disturbing his store at night. I know it was not right for the kid. Do you think the manager was being accommodating, or do you think he was ignorant? — Rionnan

Dear Rionnan: When an unruly child is older than 5, I have a direct approach: I try to catch the eye of the child and give him a look that would stop a kicking mule in his tracks.

One time, I was in a department store, and an unruly 8-year-old kept pulling things off the shelf.

The mother kept telling the child to stop, but the child just ignored her. I went to the child and whispered in his ear that I would put him in jail if he did not obey his mother. The little boy ran to his mother and sat beside her while she continued shopping. The mother never knew why her son started behaving.

Regarding the 2-year-old, I am sure the manager did not like the situation, but I believe he did not know what to do.

You are right to sympathize with the parent because it is difficult to make ends meet with a low-paying job. There is hardly ever enough money to pay for a baby sitter. The possible circumstances that led to what you witnessed are endless. Consider these possibilities:

— The employee was given permission by management to bring the child to work.

— The employee wanted to go home but had to work overtime because the following shift person failed to arrive.

— The little one's baby sitter unexpectedly called in sick, was arrested or was in a traffic accident.

— The child was sick and could not be left with a baby sitter.

We all have suffered the displeasure of crying, suffering, aggressive and obnoxious children. I do not have a good answer on how to deal with a 2-year-old who is disturbing the peace, especially when one is in a confined area, such as an airplane. The only thing I have done in the past is to suffer the displeasure and try to sympathize with both the parents and children.

To find out more about Larry G. Meeks and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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