Hero or villain? Man buys 23 Burger King apple pies to spite screaming child

[avebury]

14. Hero - no doubt about it.

I have no patience for parents who don't parent and inflict their out of control children on the rest of society. I have a co-worker who every once in a while brings her kids to the office (along with a child of another co-worker who works in a different office and a fourth child who I have no clue who she belongs to). All these kids are old enough to have been taught manners, how to behave in public as well as indoor and outdoor voice. One of the kids is in 5th Grade. Does she have them bring anything to keep them occupied? Of course not. Does she pay attention to them? Of course not. Does she let them run wild? Of course she does. This is a professional office and these kids are totally disruptive. I was on the phone with someone from our field office and I had to turn around and tell them to pipe down (they were running laps up and down the aisle by my cubicle at the time) because I could not even hear the other person on the phone. Only then did she say something to the kids.

I was told by another co-worker who is friends with this woman that I just needed to get used to this because this is what the woman does. Someone told me that she is known for doing this when they were located in another part of the office. It appalls me that this behavior has been accepted in the past and that no one in management has put their foot down. Another co-worker brought her son in a couple of days during spring break and he was an absolute gem. She kept him occupied and you never knew he was even in the building he was so well behaved. I had lunch with them one day and he was such a great kid.

I know that sometimes a parent has to bring a child (or children) into the office for some reason or other but for crying out loud, come prepared and don't let them totally disrupt the office!

I don't know how on earth I am going to handle the situation in the future because this is a person who does not take criticism well. Any suggestions out there?