Bring your kyds to a political convention!

My DH and I are members of our state’s Democratic Party (said state is sometimes called Wississippi), and we have been delegates to state convention since 2001. As is usual, there are many speakers, lots of clapping and shouting, and of course the hospitality suites. Copious amounts of beer, obviously. So what better place to bring a baybee or toadler?

I don’t remember this happening before a year or two ago. Sitting three rows ahead of us was a Mawm and very small baybee, maybe six months or so. Thankfully he was quiet, though how he slept through the noise is beyond me. Saw some other baybees Friday nite, too. Saturday morning a toadler started in with “Mom! Mom! MOM!” during floor debate on resolutions. Granted, that isn’t very exciting—so why submit a small child to that kind of boredom? Her handler finally hauled her out of the main hall.

Maybe the Democratic Party has embraced the “famblee friendly” mantra a bit too strongly. FFS, why bring small kyds to an adult event? Just why?

Last time I went to GenCon (huge gaming convention, heavily populated, close quarters because of the sheer number of people, and definitely not strictly family friendly), there were people in the dealers' room with those big strollers. Not only did they take up more than their half of the aisles, but when the parents parked them to browse the dealers' tables, the strollers blocked either the aisle or the table for everybody else. It was hard enough to move around without contending with freaking vehicles in the room. But on top of that, as you say, why the hell would you take BABIES someplace like that? There's nothing for them to enjoy, and if the parents want to have any fun, they're going to be lugging their poor kids all over for HOURS on end. Kids have got to be miserable, and they certainly weren't making it more fun for the people around them. Breeders. Talk all they want, but ultimately their kids are about themselves, and nothing else.

Oh how I hate those gigantic strollers clogging up the aisles of decidedly child unfriendly events! I've seen them at juried art shows, and antique shows, and even at advertised "21 and over" music festivals. And you're absolutely right that babies/toddlers at best will have no interest in these activities, and at worst, will scream and fuss and diminish the enjoyment of the event for everyone else. But heaven forfend that any of these parents get a babysitter and enjoy the event with other adults...oh noes, it's ALL ABOUT being seen with the DNA accessory.

I've stopped attending most functions because of brats.

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Passive Aggressive
Master Of Anti-brat
Excuses!