No, I'm Not a Babysitter

Our policy is easy and (IMHO) a little lenient.  Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult or guardian.  The term "guardian" also currently includes older siblings.  Oh yeah, that's right.  We occassionally have babies watching babies, if you will.  Especially during the summer.  We also ask parents to watch their young children while they're here.

But that doesn't always happen.

In the Easy Reader/Children's section, we have a PC setup with a Fischer-Price keyboard and games.  Kids under the age of 7 can play on the computer for a short period.  Cool?  Yes.  Annoying when the parents think they can drop them there and spend an hour on a PC checking their e-mail?  Hell yes.  Especially when the child is 3, still in diapers, drooling all over everything and crying for momma.  What's momma doing during this?  Facebooking and ignoring the child.  One of us must leave the desk, find momma and inform her that she needs to be watching her child.  Most of the time we get "oh, sorry," then the mom takes the child back to her pc, the child stays there for 5-10 minutes and then gets bored that mom's ignoring her and proceeds to walk BACK to the kids' pc.  This process gets repeated until:

• A) the librarian gets frustrated enough that she stops trying,
• B) the child cries loud enough that the mother gets embarrassed and yanks the child from the library,
• C) the child cries loud enough that the mother gets angry and proceeds to yell at the child in front of everyone or
• D) the other patrons begin complaining loud enough that the parent finally pays attention to her child.  (D happens VERY rarely.) 

What always gets me are the parents who act like they've never heard of this policy or try to tell us "other librarians have said it's ok."  Well, it's not ok, this is our policy, so suck it up.  OK, so maybe I don't tell them to suck it up.  Most of the time.

Last week was a great moment in Dealing With Irritated Parents 101:

Child gets on one of the children's computers for the first time.  Parent has no idea how to help the child log on.  I help the child make her reservation and logon.  Go me.  Parent's cell phone rings (argh-ever heard of VIBRATE?).  Parent approaches desk.
Patron:  My other daughter is being dropped off at the house and I need to be there when she's dropped off.  Is it ok if I leave my daughter here?
Me:  (Looking at child.) How old is your daughter?
Patron:  7 1/2.
Me:  I'm sorry, ma'am, our policy is that children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
Patron:  I'll only be gone a few minutes.
Me:  I'm sorry, ma'am.  That's our policy.  (Because I'm not a babysitter, dammit.)
Patron:  HMMPH.
Patron then storms off, plops down beside her daughter using the computer and stays.  What the  fuck?!?!?!?!  Thought you had to run home to get your other daughter.

Argh.  I love stupid people.