I’m a Mom and Yes, I Agree With “Brat Bans”

By now I think we've all read the shocking article here on Shine about these so called "brat bans." And like most moms, I was initially a little taken aback. Correction: I was pissed. It's not like I'm walking on your plane or in your store with the plague or something. Plenty of people without children do things that gross/annoy the crap out of me, but I deal with it. It's part of living in society with other human beings. So if you can't deal with my kid speaking a little loudly or running past you in the aisle, order your groceries online. Or would you rather I did this?

But the more I thought about it, the more I began to think these "brat bans" could actually be a good idea. As annoyed as some people are by children, nothing annoys a parent more than someone who looks at their child in disdain for being a child. So maybe it's not such a bad idea to keep parents and these kid-haters separate. I feel like it would actually make shopping and traveling so much more enjoyable for parents too because we wouldn't have to deal with the judging glares from people who have no idea what it's like to raise a child.

And for the record, I totally resent the name of this movement. In the same way every woman isn't a nag and every African-American isn't a hoodlum, every child isn't a brat. There are plenty of children who are perfectly well-mannered and -behaved on planes, in restaurants and in the grocery store. Brats and children are two totally different things.