Children running riot are ruining it for the rest of us – selfish parents are to blame. In an opinion piece, Virginia Blackburn argues that while she supports children, they do not need to be at the centre of everything. She recounts an incident at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon where a baby cooed and gurgled so loudly during a production of The Tempest that the mother was asked to watch the second act from outside. Audience complaints included one from former Home Secretary Lord Blunket, who questioned what the baby was getting from the experience.
Parents Putting Children First at the Expense of Others
Blackburn emphasises that there is a time and place for children, and parents who insist on making them the centre of attention are not only raising spoilt brats but showing selfishness towards others. She recalls her wedding anniversary dinner at an expensive restaurant, where children at the next table shouted and ran around, ruining the evening. She also remembers a flight 30 years ago where a child ran around hitting passengers; when she confronted the parents, they dismissed it, saying he was 'only a baby' – though he was about six. The flight crew asked her to file a complaint as the family was known to be a menace.
High-Profile Weddings Ban Children
Blackburn praises high-profile weddings, such as those of Taylor Swift and Emily Atack, for banning children. She notes that Swift wants children and Atack already has one, but they are showing consideration for others and teaching their children to do the same. She concludes that the Victorians were right in their approach to children's behaviour in public.
