On children's noise level, et al...

I don't normally read much of those news of children-not-welcome stories, like the one about banning young children from restaurant. It's a balancing act between keeping a young child engaged and entertained, while trying to minimize the nuisance to others.

I've been on both sides of the fence. While my kids are getting bigger now, they have been young once. It can get apprehensive, hoping and praying that my kids would cooperate and don't cry or scream in movie theaters or on long-haul flights. When I look at parents or families bringing in very young kids or babies in those situations, I can get apprehensive too, hoping and praying that those kids won't just cry or scream their guts out, and the rest of us would have a bit of quiet time. But then, you can't blame the babies, infants and toddlers for doing for they're doing, when they don't have the ways and means to tell the adults that they don't want to be restricted to the confined space for a prolonged period.

Restaurants and parks, on the other hand, are somewhat different. They are not confined space. And there are plenty of options for parents to bring their kids too. If the kids start acting up in restaurants, one of the adults/parents can always bring the kids outside for a walk to calm the nerve or for distraction. That's what my husband and I always did, and it worked out quite well. So, if a restaurant puts out children-unwelcomed sign, I don't see what the big deal is for the families to bring their business elsewhere where tolerance level for their kids is higher. In short, this kind of stories is not news-worthy to me.

And then, today I read about some Sydney residents complaining about the noise level of children playing in parks. I must say though, that this is getting a bit out of hand. I understand that some people simply can't stand children's crying or screaming. Afterall, that's one of the reasons some adults quoted as rationale for not having kids of their own. Surely, if a park is designed with structures and playthings for kids to kill their energy, can anyone blame the kids for having a blasting fun time and scream their guts out? Honestly, I can't say I do. How does one define the playthings and structures in a park that would limit the kids to play more passively, so that they won't make that much noise? Kids are fairly straightforward animals; they either have a good time, or they don't. If the kids don't enjoy playing in that park, they simply won't want to come. And if the residents have been so worried about it, they should have voiced their concerns before the park was built and/or during the design stage of the park.

You're quite right, in that, I don't have alot of sympathy in the complaints about kids having too much fun in park (hence making too much noise). No doubt, people want more parks and green space; that enhances the environment, thereby boosting property value. There are gives and takes, and times like this, you can't have it both ways, wanting the pie and eating it too. They should have been happy that kids and families are utilizing the parks, rather than thugs and criminals (as alot of idle park space can attract).