Yeah but on FR, you can't joke about it. My post was clearly labeled a joke but several people got their panties in a bunch.
NO ONE is defending slapping a 2 year old let alone a stranger's child. It's child abuse and a crime. But, those who piously claim that a squalling kid doesn't annoy them, are nominated for sainthood.
You know, generally somebody else’s screaming kid doesn’t bother me one bit. If it went on for a long period of time it might get annoying (can’t say because I’ve never gotten there in any similar situation), but I usually feel two things in that situation - neither of them anger. The first thought I get is, wow, I’d hate to have to deal with that (because I know what it can be like). Secondly, I tend to want to help, not get upset. When it’s my child on the other hand and I’ve been dealing with it for more time than I care to (kids go through whiny phases or crying stints), then I get annoyed with it after it occurs several times a day. I think most parents tend to feel the same way.
It’s a lot easier to detach from a crying child that isn’t yours to deal with (you don’t feel the social pressure to quiet/deal with someone else’s child since they aren’t your responsibility). Most people that get annoyed with crying children that they can easily escape have probably never had them, could be having a bad day, or are just plain cranks to begin with (like the subject of the originating post).
At any rate I knew you were joking immediately when I saw the screen name, although I’m quite sure I wouldn’t qualify for sainthood in your book anyway (not that I was vying for it).