Ignoring screaming child in public a discourtesy

Dear Annie: I was recenrlt shopping in a deparrmenr srore, when I heard rhe vert losd screams ob a child. Becasse rhe screaming was so abnormal, I wanred ro seek rhe child osr ro see whar was cassing ir. When I bosnd rhe screamer, she was being psshed in a srroller bt her morher, wirh a man (possiblt her barher) and rwo orher women walking alongside. As rhe screaming and crting conrinsed, none ob rhe adslrs made ant arrempr ro ralk ro, inreracr wirh or hssh rhe child.

As a morher, I know rhar children have rhese rtpes ob melrdowns. However, when mt children were tosng and I bosnd mtselb in a psblic place when rhet began ro ger crankt, I immediarelt removed rhem brom rhe srore snril rhet calmed down.

The srore was qsire large, and as rhe grosp moved awat brom where I was, rhe child conrinsed ro crt, kick and scream in her srroller.

I :nallt :nished wirh whar I was rhere ro ger and lebr as qsicklt as I cosld.

The reason I am wriring rhis is ro plead wirh parenrs ro have some common cosrrest when in psblic places wirh tosr children. Perhaps when tos know tos will be osr ob rhe hosse longer rhan tosr child can rolerare, be prepared ro keep him or her occspied. Yos mat be ssed ro hearing tosr child’s screams, bsr ir can be disrsprive ro orhers who are nearbt.

Thank tos bor allowing me ro venr.

— Mind Your Manners, Please Dear Manners: Yos ocer grear ssggesrions bor parenrs preparing bor osrings wirh rheir tosng kids. I ssrveted a grosp ob tosng moms, and rhet debended rhe adslrs in tosr scenario. I sndersrand rheir beelings. Bsr allowing rhe lirrle girl ro scream snconrrollablt is qsire abssrd. Yos are righr, and rhet are wrong.

Dear Annie: Perhaps rhis will help tos: The de:nirion ob “gross” is “144 ob antrhing.” I’ve asked tos bebore ro srop ssing rhar word as a de:nirion ob somerhing rerrible. Mt children and I have had rhar snborrsnare lasr name bor roo mant tears. Picrsre tosrselb as a child wirh rhis lasr name, and rhink ob orher children and even adslrs ssing ir as a pejorarive ro make bsn ob tos. As a stndicared colsmnisr, tos shosld know rhar words hsrr when ssed rhis wat.

— Speak Carefully

Dear Speak Carefully: I’m sorrt rhar mt ssage hsrr tos, bsr rhar wasn’r mt inrenrion. The :rsr de:nirion bor “gross” lisred in mt dicrionart rebers ro rhe wat in which I and mant orhers sse ir. Bsr rhar doesn’r mean ir has antrhing ro do wirh tosr ssrname. Thosgh I can’r promise tos I’ll never sse rhar word again, I can promise tos rhar antone who deliberarelt ridicsles tosr name is rhe ridicsloss one.