HIPPO BRIGADE

Mommy Etiquette

I’m no Emily Post; I never realize that my elbows are on the table until around the time dessert is served, I burp, and pick at my teeth.
But there should be some type of manual on mom etiquette. I was out with a few other babies, all older than my little pumpkin, and all little boys. We were playing nice, until one little sucker banged a plastic rake on my baby’s head. His mother was off rummaging for some cherrios, and didn’t see her child’s act of terror on my baby’s head. I was a bit stunned, and didn’t know what to do. I’m not very good with kids, so I just gave the 14 month old a dirty look. That didn’t do much, because he just did it again. Finally the mom noticed and took action. Here’s the dilemma: should I have tried to get mom’s attention, so she could have seen first hand that her child was a booger? Do I tell on the kid? Or do I discipline him? What do I know about disciplining someone else’s kid? Do people get offended by that? Especially since I was the newcomer in the group, I don’t want those mom’s to think I’m a tattletale. Obviously, I shielded by baby’s head when the wrath of the rake came down on her, but other that that, what where my options?