Kids In Grown-up Places

I love being a grown-up.  I love being able to do what I want to when I want to, within reason of course.  I can go where I want to go, eat what I want to eat and go to bed when I want to go to bed.  (We won't talk about the fact that I'm usually unconscious by 10:00!)  Because I'm a grown-up, some of the places I like to go are grown-up places, meaning places meant for grown-ups.  Why is it then that I see so many kids at these places?  The gym comes to mind.  Too often I'll see a little kid running through, climbing on equipment or playing in the water fountain while Mom or Dad is working out, oblivious to their child's antics.  Not only is it annoying for other people working out, it's also dangerous.  Exercise machines and weights aren't toys. A big guy curling 120 pound dumbbells in each hand is going to drop them on the mat next to him without thinking there's a child underfoot.  The kid could be injured, but so could the guy if he tries to "catch" the weights.  Some gyms have a daycare, but if yours doesn't, hire a sitter.  I like to go to some really nice restaurants.  The kinds that have a good wine list, multiple forks, table cloths, a humidor and daily specials created by a chef and recited by the server when they greet my table.  I am stunned whenever I see someone with a kid in one of these places.  I once had the pleasure of listening to a woman at a nearby table complain endlessly that there were no crayons for her child and she just couldn't believe they didn't have chicken tenders on the menu.  Her poor kid looked bored to death and picked at his meal.  Really?  With all the places out there that cater to families with balloons, colorful kid menus, playgrounds and game rooms, why in the world would you drag your child to a place that very obviously isn't kid friendly?  Parties are also a good example of grown-up events that shouldn't have kids in attendance.  For any smart alecs out there, I am not talking about kid's birthday parties, Easter egg hunts, family picnics or the like.  I'm talking about grown-up parties with kegs, dancing, card playing, smoking, wine and/or scotch tasting and maybe a stripper or two.  The invitation will always say "no kids."  Invariably, someone will show up at one of these events with a child in tow and act totally amazed that there aren't any other kids there!  What are they thinking?  Perhaps my biggest inappropriate kid place peeve is the movies.  Again, I'm not talking about Shrek or Kung Fu Panda.  I'm talking about adult movies with adult themes and adult language.  Several years ago  my husband and I went to a first run movie.  The theater was completely full.  In walk a man and his wife carrying an infant and a little boy.  This movie was full of scary creatures and quite a bit of violence in the form of war.  The little boy was terrified (and is probably still in therapy) while the infant screamed the entire 2 1/2 hours.  No one in the theater enjoyed the movie thanks to the thoughtless and selfish people that just had to bring their children.  I realize that many parents work long hours and want to spend as much quality time with their kids as possible, but dragging them to grown-up places and events isn't quality time by any means.  Kids like kid things and kid places. It's the ultimate in selfishness when an adult who has kids doesn't want to change their life in any way and forces their kids along for the ride.  People behaving badly.