I saw the weirdest thing today at the doctor's office. No, not some freaky person with three eyes or a nasty, flaky disease. Nope. This was a little girl going out of control.
This, in itself, isn't that unusual. I'm pretty much used to seeing kids be out of control, whining, screaming, yelling and hitting their parents. Sadly, I see more parents who don't parent, than ones who do. Respect is something young kids aren't being taught and it shows in the way they act out with complete disregard to those around them. Can you tell this is a pet peeve of mine?
Anyways, this little girl couldn't have been more than two-and-a-half. The mother had zero control over her child and the little girl proceeded to wander all over the waiting room. Again, not something particularly surprising. What did surprise me was when the girl - we'll call her Susie - disappeared through the doorway into the area that housed the nurses station, offices and patient rooms. Gone. I mean, you could not see her at all. And the mother just sat there. Did. Nothing.
I kept thinking, the nurses don't get paid to babysit, and wondered how long until the mother decided to fetch sweet Susie. Catch the sarcasm?
Finally, she got up and went in search of her daughter. Moments later she comes out the doorway ushering a loudly complaining and whining little girl. You could tell she didn't dare pick her up. Well, Susie would not stand for this obstacle in her way. She let out a shrieking whine. "Don puss me!" And the mother backed off.
At one point, the little girl dug through her mother's purse, lifted a twenty dollar bill and took off. The mother tried coaxing and begging the little girl to come back and bring the money, but darling daughter would not behave. Secretly, I was hoping she'd bestow that twenty on me.
No luck. I think the mother was nearing her limit. She got up, retrieved Susie, replaced the bill and proceeded to try and hold a thrashing, whining, arching Susie on her lap. Got to teach her a lesson, you know?
Up to this point I was annoyed, but not shocked. Just your basic kids-run-the-home-and-parents situation. But here's what made my jaw drop.
There was a young, pleasantly quiet boy of about nine years who, I thought, had the misfortune of being sweet Susie's big brother. Turns out he stirs the pot. While his mother was trying to hold the thrashing Susie her son jumps into the argument.
"Mom, just let her down."
"No. I need her to learn that she can't always get her way."
"Oh, just put her down. I'll watch her."
Yeah, my jaw hit the floor. An older brother volunteering to watch and trail after his spoiled sister as she wreaks havoc on the waiting room and its innocent masses?!
AND THE MOTHER LISTENED! She obeyed the command of her young son to stop disciplining Susie and let her have her way. Wow! I don't think I have ever come across a situation where the older sibling, particularly a brother, spoils his younger siblings in quite this manner. Shocking, is what it was.
And he followed through. He got up to fetch Susie when she wandered from the room to the elevators. Huh. I thought I had seen it all, but this was something entirely new to me.
Makes me shudder to think what she'll be like when she's a teenager.
And yes, I know this isn't a very nice post. But that's what you get when I don't get my sleep. Sarcasm and snarkiness.
