Just A Mom Trying

Nothing screams “Peace on Earth and Goodwill to Men” like watching a group of fully-grown adults aggressively corner a school security guard because they couldn’t wait three minutes to exit a room.

This morning, I was lucky enough to watch my daughter’s sweet Christmas program. It was lovely! And before the program even started, the staff gave clear, simple instructions to the audience: Please stay seated after the final song while the children are safely dismissed from the room, and then we will dismiss the parents.

They repeated the instructions after the program ended, which should have been a crystal-clear reminder to everyone. But no. The moment the music faded, the “Adult Toddler Syndrome” took over. A group of parents immediately rushed the exit, forming a rigid, demanding bottleneck.

They failed the simplest procedural test imaginable. They were rude to the security personnel who were just trying to implement a system designed to keep their own kids safe! It was truly ridiculous to watch grown-ups act worse than the 2nd graders we were all there to celebrate.

The irony of this happening at a Christmas program is what really got me. We are in the season of giving, gratitude, and communal respect, yet the moment an inconvenience arose—the simple inconvenience of waiting three extra minutes—basic decency vanished.

The inability to follow a simple direction for the safety and procedure of a children’s event is the exact opposite of the spirit we preach this month. It’s a failure of basic community respect and a lesson in hypocrisy that our kids witness firsthand.

We demand our children “use their waiting feet” and respect their teachers, but what message are we sending when we can’t show that same respect and patience to the staff charged with protecting them?

This holiday season, let’s commit to showing more patience than the 4-year-olds. Have you witnessed “Adult Toddler Syndrome” at your school dismissal? Tell me your story in the comments!