Your children should have no bearing on how a salesman treats you.
These are not the shops you want to patronize.
Fuji would be a great starter bike, though. Any other shops within a reasonable radius?

I'm 5'3" with a 30" inseam and am pretty certain I'm looking at a 52" frame by the way things feel.

That sounds off to me. I'm 5'2, 29" inseam and I think I'm a 47.