Kids--the good and the bad

Usually kids drive me crazy at work. They run around, climb on things, mess up the store, are loud, and generally make my life difficult. However, sometimes something happens that surprises me and makes me think that maybe kids aren't so bad.

We have a regular customer (a family) that comes in once or twice a week. Sometimes it's the mom and daughter, sometimes it's both kids with the dad, sometimes it's the whole family. The kids are FANTASTIC! They behave, help their parents shop, act like human beings instead of spoiled monsters, and politely ask questions to learn more about the subject our store covers. I might be hiring the older one in 6 years! The parents encourage the kids to be independent, yet adequately supervise so the kids don't get hurt or into situations that they can't handle. A great family.

The other night I was closing and we were behind schedule. I was tidying up the store, putting things where they belonged, and straightening the merchandise when I saw a youngster, perhaps 3 years old, not far away. "Great, where are her parents?!" I thought. I heard people a couple of aisles away, and thought bad things about them for leaving such a young child unattended (from the safety angle and the wrecking my store angle).

As I continued to straighten things the child reached for merchandise and I SO wanted to stop her from messing things up. But then I looked again—she had just FIXED the merchandise! As I continued down the aisle, she stayed a few steps away, closely watching me and doing what I did to make the store look better. Another employee asked if I had a helper and I, still in shock that she was helping make the store look better instead of destroying it, said, "Yes, but I don't know who she belongs to." The child answered, "To my mommy." At that, I heard her parents calling her. She returned to them, and I continued tidying by myself. I wonder what I could get away with paying a 3-year-old? Oh, strike that, child labor laws probably wouldn't allow that, huh? Oh, come on! Just one hour every evening before we close!

The next morning I was reminded that I hate kids (at least when they're in my store) by the clan waiting at the door for us to open. Two mothers and . . . how many kids were there? At least 6, perhaps as many as 7 or 8. I just know that they were banging on the door and peering in well before we opened, and then sat on the sidewalk just outside the door until we opened. When they came in you had to shout for anyone to hear you, they were THAT loud. I was afraid they'd stay forever, but our customer bathroom was out of order and with that many kids someone's always got to go, so they left after perhaps 20~30 minutes.

When school's in session I must say my weekday days are much more pleasant, while my weekends are hellish and evenings aren't that great, either. Saturday, here I come. : (