Heard in Austin:

[urbpan]

"squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak..."

The sound of a dog's squeaky toy, coming closer, down the sidewalk, as we eat lunch outside. What should come up the way but a family--mom and dad and just-walking baby--the baby's shoes are making the squeak noise. Someone is manufacturing baby shoes with squeakers in them. There were a few people around us, and we all exchanged unbelieving looks. One guy said "that's the weirdest thing I've ever seen!" Well, no, but it's pretty weird.

Cut to a few hours later, in the airport, waiting for the announcement to board our plane: "squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak..." Another just-walking baby, with squeakers in its shoes. Someone is manufacturing baby shoes with squeakers in them, and at least two people have bought them. I can only imagine that the point of these shoes is that you always know where the baby is--you know, rather than watching them. I know, I'm not a "kid person," and I'll never have children so I'll never understand, but isn't this whole idea really obnoxious? The message I'm getting from it is "My child's safety is more important than your comfort."

They are coming to your school, your daycare center, your laundromat, grocery store (think of it--dozens of pairs of shoes--"squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak") dentist's office, your city street!

What do you think?

Comments

[badnoodles.livejournal.com]

Ah, but you're wrong.

Learning to control our behavior around others is a necessary part of being a social human being. We can't all do what we like, when we like, because we don't live in a bubble. We live in a society, mostly filled with strangers. Learning the necessity of respecting other people's comfort and curtailing natural impulse is an important part of a child's development, and it is a very fundamental obligation of the PARENT to help instill that respect.

When a parent refuses to live up to those obligation, it becomes the burden of strangers to instill basic social norms in a child.

[gwodder.livejournal.com]

Yeah,

When 'basic social norms' include "Shut up, kid", we're sick. Silencing children who are learning to speak is like making a bonsai tree out of their cognitive and emotional capacities.

Adults make way for children. Not the other way around. When it's the other way around, the grown-ups SUCK.

[gwodder.livejournal.com]

Actually, allow me to speak a bit better on this.

When 'basic social norms' come with the idea that 'what comes naturally to a human being is unacceptable', this society is teaching children there is something intrinsically wrong with them. When people grow up with that concept being reinforced...

we get Rapists! We get sociopaths. We get autisms and sexual dysfunctions. We get religious fundamentalists who think we're 'basically evil creatures'. We get systems of punishment and control, because 'what you are is something that does what society cannot tolerate'. This is a symptom of a society that is ACTIVELY HOSTILE towards humans.

I understand that for the most part, interacting with humans is like having someone drop a turd in your cereal, but honestly, is it the three year olds who still feel the freedom to make noise when they're happy that are making you miserable, or the fact that none of the adults are capable of expressing any emotion whatsoever because we shut them up when they were little?

[gwodder.livejournal.com]

and what about the imposition of discomfort upon a child who is told they cannot express themselves heartfully except in certain acceptable environments? Can we not recognize these children as strangers who don't want impositions placed on them any more than some of us wish to be imposed upon?

Seeing someone glare at a 'stranger' child like they want it to die does a lot more towards giving ME a bad day than I imagine having to hear a child shriek happily for five minutes does for you.