Quote Originally Posted by Pascale

I give the child a stare that would chill steam. On many MANY occasions, the child, who might be used to manipulating a parent, won't try the same to a strange adult. I've had lots of them cut the crap IMMEDIATELY. Yeah, they're probably scared. Or at least surprised.
I used to have a studio inside a professional office building/business park which had a lovely atrium garden and water fountain. The gardeners were out several times a week trying to keep it blooming and beautiful, always posting the "keep off" signs.

The thing was, many parents who came to do business in the building left their children alone, loose in the atrium. The kids would be climbing the trees, digging up the soil, tearing leaves off plants and climbing into the fountain, all the while screaming like banshees. One kid actually pulled up plants by the roots to throw at his sibling.

If I ran into the parents in the hallway, I'd have to tell them that the office building is not a playground. They'd look at me like they'd never heard of a professional environment.
If I had to go out and stop the children from tearing up the place, I'd put on my Stern Face, walk out there and say in my best scary Stern Voice: "STOP. NOW. YOU WILL BE QUIET." They'd get all google-eyed and stop.

It's not the kids I mind so much, it's their idiotic parents who tacitly give them permission to do so. BTW, the other tenants started calling me The Terminator.