The Coughing Child

**Disclaimer- This post is NOT to offend anyone with children, if you take offense, I do apologize, but it needs to be shared**

Date night arrived with the hubby and it was my turn to select the dinner location. I decided on Olive Garden because I wanted a hot bowl of soup and a nice fresh salad. We waited the usual 20-30 minute wait for a table, due to the popularity AND cold weather of course.

We were seated in a nice cozy corner. I am so beyond happy to be here with hubby, relaxing, and getting ready to enjoy a nice warm soup and out of the cold weather. We are served samples of a new wine, hubby looks at me and can tell I like it, orders two glasses for us. It was romantic. I don't need a five star restaurant to enjoy myself. This is all I ever wanted. It was such a romantic night.

I noticed when we were seated there was a younger couple, maybe our age?, girl covered in tattoos, man dressed shabby, and a child, approximately six years in age. I have gotten spoiled by my friends' children, all well behaved and perfect angels in public places. To the onlooker, you would have thought the same about this child. That was until she began jumping on the seat of the booth. Normally, I wouldn't have been bothered, but on this occasion, I was seated on the side attached to her booth, so with every jump I was bumped a bit from my comfortable position. Hubby could tell I was getting annoyed, he reached across the table and grabbed my hand, I took a deep breath and calmed down.

We continued our conversation, only to be quickly interrupted by the child talking right into my ear. She had stood up on the booth and was talking directly into my ear! I turned and gave a horrible look to both her and her "parents" (I do feel bad for having to be nasty to the child, I mean, my God she is only a child and OBVIOUSLY hasn't been taught how to act in public). Her mother quickly yelled at her to sit down and she obliged. I thought that would be the end of it until I felt a small hand on my shoulder. Sheeeee's baaaccccck!!

A little more talking followed by one of the second worst things imaginable, a COUGH, right on my back (what is the first you ask? why a sneeze of course!). Completely disgusted at this point, I am a germaphobe for God's sake, I jumped to my feet and let out a disgusted noise. Hubby was frozen, not sure what to do. "Control your child please." What did the parents do? Nothing, the let the child continue jumping around while they enjoyed their dinner.

I understand that couples, especially young couples, don't get enough quality time together as a couple when they have children at a young age, BUT at the same time, why should my hubby and myself be punished just because they could not take an extra few minutes each time they were out in public to instill some manners in their children. I simply don't understand it. The more and more I see, the more hesitant I am to have children. Is it really that difficult to teach them simple things like this?