Things that make me go GRRRRRRR

We are still in Vail, enjoying our time away from life and I'll check in again later. But for now, a post I wrote last week …

Alright. I feel like I'm going nuts. Can I get your opinion here? I recently ran across this article about cruising with a toddler. A woman wrote in saying that she and her family had recently taken a cruise and though she felt she had researched the trip thoroughly, she was surprised (livid) to learn partway through her vacation that their two-year-old would not be allowed in the pool with a swim diaper on. Based on this fact and a lack-luster children's program, she had filed a complaint with Royal Caribbean and was requesting her son's fare be refunded. As to whether or not she deserves a refund or not, I'm unsure. The tone of the article seemed to me (though it isn't clearly spelled out) that she felt like she had asked ample questions before booking the cruise and felt like she should have been told about this beforehand. If I were a travel agent booking a cruise for someone with a toddler and knew of this rule, I'd be sure to point it out. A five-day cruise with a kid who doesn't have a lot to do in the way of activities doesn't seem like much of a vacation to me.

But what really got me were the comments people left after this seemingly innocuous article. Five pages strong and nary a one sympathized with this mom. Everyone was FLOORED that a parent would ever CONSIDER taking an “unhousebroken” child into a public pool and that she was little better than Hitler for even suggesting such a thing. They painted her to be a Momzilla, convinced that every drop of bodily fluid that exited her child's body was as lovely (and valuable) as frankencense and that she thought that everyone should be worshipping at the alter of her offspring. One commenter (page 3, name is Captain Rick, though I have other, less polite suggestions for his future moniker) even says that he and his wife did not take their own kids on ANY PUBLIC TRANSIT (including planes) until they were AT LEAST in THIRD GRADE and could conduct themselves “properly” and not be “a distraction” to other people.I don't know about where you live, but here we take our “unhousebroken” kids into public pools all the time. They wear swim diapers, which I concede, are not foolproof. But somehow, it seems to rarely be a problem. The pools do occasionally get closed down due to an accident and is it gross, yes, absolutely, but it is also not the apocolypse. Now I understand that there is a difference when on a ship (and I wouldn't suggest the policy be changed). There is limited water supply and people are in much more confined quarters that would make an outbreak devastating. But the idea that only Hitler would put a toddler in a swim diaper in a public pool? Ridiculous. And honestly, I don't know that I would have thought to question the swim diaper policy on a cruise ship having never been on one before.

I really don't think I'm of one of those people who makes any excuse for kids. Poorly behaved kids still annoy me. A LOT. I work really hard with Tabby to make sure that her behavior is good enough that she is welcome wherever she goes. But she is a kid, still learning and not perfect. And there is a big difference between a kid who is being a kid (and times where this is appropriate or not) and a kid who is behaving badly. I really thought we'd moved beyond kids beeing seen and not heard and locked away with their governess until they could comport themselves with dignity at all times. And quite honestly, I see just as many adults behaving badly as I do children (smug dude in too expensive suit who cut in front of me in the line at the airport, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE), though perhaps quite not as loudly.

What's your take?