Absolutely! I work on a checkout at a very busy (and mostly very noisy) supermarket, and when you spend day after day seeing poorly parented children:
1.screaming the place down, and or kicking their mothers (I see this often, unfortunately, usually because they want something, ie: sweets/toys etc, and have been refused) 2.running around knocking things (and the occassional person) over…. well you get the idea, I’m sure.
So, suddenly you’re faced with a very sweet child, who chats away, maybe helps mum pack (if old enough) or happily stays by Mum’s side instead of running amok causing chaos… I cannot say what joy this is. I always comment to the child, thanking them for being so clever/well behaved/pleasant and always mention to their Mum what a joy their child/children are.
Before I get yelled at (and I’m not even at work this week lol) for hating children, I don’t. Far, far from it. I hate that noise. That scream that can tear your soul out and completely destroy it, that screaming that causes actual physical pain. I swear, a bad tempered (not sick/hungry/upset) screaming child is the worst form of torture when you are unable to get up and get away from it. Now consider being forced to endure it for blocks of 8 hours at a time <shudders>. I can never understand how parents can just blend it out and seem not to even hear it, when people all around them are visably wincing in pain from it.
So, yes, I most definitely notice, appreciate, and thank and praise both the children and their parent/s. Also, re the running around crazy children knocking people/things over? had that… walk with a cane. It’s very painful, humiliating… and our store has many elderly customers, and concrete floors. I worry for them.
huggles honeys xx