A friend of mine took her kids to a store that sells children's clothes, toys, etc. She brought her kids. (After all, it's stuff for them, so it's usually a good idea to let them pick it out. Otherwise, you end up getting things they don't like, don't use, and don't want. Waste of money.)

Every time on of the kids even put a finger on anything, the owner of the store made a point to say, "Don't touch that! You'll break it."

(I agree with her completely. Whenever I take my kids to the toy store, I tie up their hands with duct tape, so they can't touch anything, especially the toys for children. Children should never touch toys! They might break them. And children's clothes... they're just to decorate the closet. You're not actually supposed to let your kids wear them except during picture day, after which you must remove the clothes immediately and dress them in durable flour sacks.)

There was an unlocked door in the play area. The kids naturally wanted to open it to see what was on the other side. (It was in the play area, so it must be for play.) Again, the store owner barked out, "Don't open that door! It's a staircase that leads down to the basement."

(Kids instinctually know to stay away from dangerous things. Obviously my friend's kid must have been mentally disabled or something. I'm sure any other kid would have known that there was a dangerous staircase on the other side of the door (children can see through walls), and surely they would have known to avoid it.)

Kids in a kids store... geesh! What's next? Cars at a car wash? Food in a grocery store? Computer geeks at a Fry's? Oh the world is just going to hell.

Labels: Things that Annoy Me