This Just In

I was on my way upstairs to buy a soda from the machine in the break room at lunch. In our lobby by the stairs we have a multi-tiered water fountain. It's one of those things that accumulates coins at some point during the day. I have no idea if the coins were tossed in by actual people or if they were seeded there by management in an attempt to boost profits. Regardless, there's coins in that there fountain.

This time there was also a toddler in that there fountain. Well, from the elbow down at least. He was around three years old and he was coin fishing. What's more, his mother was right there with him, chuckling and cooing at him , "Awwww. You're going to get wet. Yes you are!"

That's my idea of bad parenting.

Not only was she encouraging her child to take money that wasn't his, when he finally had a penny in his pudgy mitt she followed up with, "Now, make a wish and throw it back in."

Maybe it's me but that's just wrong. It goes against the whole spirit of making a wish on a coin. It's not as though you can go in to a bank, walk up to a teller and say, "Could you pass me some coins? I've got some wishes that need wishing. You'll get them right back."

Seriously. What the Hell is she thinking? Lady. Crack open your own wallet and give your kid a penny. You might avoid looking like an idiot and your child might avoid learning that it pleases mommy to engage in petty theft.

The impression I had as I rounded the top of the stairs was that the wee little coin snatcher wasn't too keen on tossing back his shiny. Mamma had to extend his hand out over the fountain and apply pressure to get him to drop it. I'm betting he wished she would make up her damned mind.

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