From a recent post by a fellow blogger:

“There’s another something I want to throw out there. A tough lesson for us moms to learn. Not everyone likes kids. Not every store wants your baby in it. I’m telling you, the more they move, the less appropriate it can be to bring them along. The reality is that there are shops (and their patrons) who are totally not into babies. Right or wrong, that’s just life.”

Let’s try a little thought experiment:

“There’s another something I want to throw out there. A tough lesson for us moms to learn. Not everyone likes kids disabled persons/the elderly/people-who-are-not-a-size4/whoever-it-is-you-don’t-like-or-are-made-uncomfortable-by. Not every store wants your baby disabled persons/the elderly/people-who-are-not-a-size4/WIIYDLOAMUB in it. I’m telling you, the more they move, the less appropriate it can be to bring them along. The reality is that there are shops (and their patrons) who are totally not into babies disabled persons/the elderly/people-who-are-not-a-size4/WIIYDLOAMUB. Right or wrong, that’s just life.”

Maybe. But just because “that’s just life” doesn’t make it right.

Look, I don’t expect people to like my children when I bring them out into the public sphere – nor do I expect anyone to coddle them or tend to them on my behalf – but I do expect them to accept my children as participants (albeit much smaller and – usually – less reasonable participants) in that sphere, who need to move about in that sphere if they are to maximize their development as members of civil society. Children are, like it or not, part of society, and to the extent that anyone begrudges them the opportunity to participate in society to a reasonable extent, the less functional members of society will they be. That, and discrimination is discrimination. Children aren’t dogs. We shouldn’t be expected to tie them up outside when we go into a shop.

So. Don’t like children? Suck it up.

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On a mostly completely unrelated note (unless, that is, you consider that BABIES WEAR DIAPERS): we’re promoting a contest over at the Bad Moms Club that involves diapers (Huggies! Sponsor Alert!) and parties and is really kind of awesome. Please to enjoy!