Did I get another job? Maybe for some extra cash? Um, no. Actually, this new position is in addition to my regular library duties. Goddammit.
A library is a "safe place", a place where parents feel comfortable dumping their kids for the day while they work or shop or, in the case of one mother, drink themselves into oblivion at the local bar.
I don't have a problem with the older kids, ages 12 and up. These kids I can deal with. They understand the basic rules of public behavior and they usually (with the exception of a few smartass 14 year old boys who I have had to smite on occasion.)don't give me too much trouble. Sometimes I have to tell them to keep it down, but that's about it.
No, I have a problem with the toddlers and the little kids. They don't understand that it's not okay to shriek at the top of their lungs and bang things. They don't understand that it's not okay to tear pages out of books or rip covers off of magazines. They are little, for chrissakes and they need constant supervision. Preferably not mine.
Today a woman came in and dumped her toddler in the play area with a stern admonishment to "play" and then went into the computer lab to check her e-mail. The little girl promptly started to shriek. And throw stuff. And generally run amok. Like little kids do. Did the woman rush out to see what was the matter? Did she go to her little girl and discipline her? No.
Funny thing is, when I went over to the woman and told her to deal with her kid, she got mad at me. Apparently, that's my job.
I don't do that anymore because once a man got mad at me for admonishing his kid. I told him that if he had a problem with me trying to maintain a reasonable decible level at the library, then he could feel free to leave and not return until he found a babysitter.
He left. Later I found out he complained to my boss who told him that I was right and if he left his kid here without supervision one more time, we were going to start charging him $10.00 an hour, the standard fee for babysitters. Ha! My boss rocks!
Kids will be kids (that's why I'm not too keen on having any right now) and that's fine. It's NOT fine when they are dumped in my lap. I know parents sometimes need time off. But listen, that's not my problem. My problems are shelving books, doing ILLs, helping patrons and generally running a library. You want time off? Hire a babysitter. Don't try and scam your kids off on me because it's free. Because if I get annoyed enough, then it won't be free.
