Discussion:Brats on Parade

It only gets better folks.

My suggestion is to tack on the brat surcharge to the bill AND word it just that way - perhaps highlight it too? End result is probably that at least those clients will go somewhere else next year with the snotty nosed brats?

I love kids and have no problem with parents who bring them. My reaction is always the same: I have no idea what their situation is and maybe they couldn't arrange babysitting or their spouse had to work, whatever. Heck, I've had kids run through my house (I work from home). I just laugh it off because I look at life this way: I have other things to worry about.

You can put the surcharge on like you did and forget it or you can tell the client they annoy you to the point where they don't return or you can suck it up. Personally, I suck it up and try to have a little fun with the baby. Life is too darn short to worry about these matters. But that's just my humble opinion.

Putting my soap box away,

Tom

I forgot to mention that I have something similar around my office as I have a six year old.

Tom

Sorry but that too is a soapbox for me

Happy tax? I think not in my humble opinion....

I agree with the others...get over it. You seem to have not grown out of your 'brat'ness.

Don't mean to get personal with an attack...but you started it. Maybe you were never a kid?

I get home, and who greets me but that smarmy Robert Shapiro, Atty. on TV selling legal documents, incorporations and the like. Swell. I knew I should have gone to medical school.

I realize this screaming child bothered you and you came here looking for sympathy and got literally none. Well that's just too bad. And you charged your client extra which is your right and you will sleep well tonight taking that mother's money that maybe she could have used towards a baby sitter for an hour, but because you charged her extra, she may not have had the luxury.

That child is innocent, Happy Tax. Face it. They don't know any better, but you do. Grow up.

Tom

As far as the extra fee, I don't see a problem with it (because it does take more time), but why hide it?

Tom

Some of you people really need to lighten up. For Pete's sake, folks, my original post was a joke. Some of you saw that. With others, I somehow sense it struck a nerve.

Thank you, Natalie, for the suggestion about some toys. I'll try to find some Aqua Dots. (That's a joke too. I'm so bad.) Actually the tip about toys is a good one. I used to have an Etch-A-Sketch, but one of Tao's little innocents wrecked that one day. Besides, this one today didn't act like he needed a crayon. He needed an exorcist. (<---Another joke, Tao)

I didn't hide the "extra" charge or unhide it. You can't expect to take up 35 minutes of my time and pay for 10, especially for a reason over which I have absolutely no control. I expect to be paid for my time exactly the same way all of us, including my client, expects to be paid for it. Surely, someone sitting in a professional's office knows that the meter is running. If you want to sit in my office and waste time with cellphone calls or allowing a child to take control of the room, that's fine, but the meter ticks on.

I guess it's like complaining about smokers to smokers. Parents who think the rest of the world should willingly tolerate their children's misbehavior in every setting are like smokers who think everyone should tolerate their habit anywhere they want to smoke. They just don't get it.

For Pete's sake, folks, it was a joke! If you don't think it's funny, don't laugh. But don't get your panties in a wad. Now can we all please quick punching poor old Happy Tax and get back to important things like taxes and stuff like that? In the meantime, I'm going to work on my attitude so that one day, when they ask, "Who will think of the children?", I, like Tao, can say, "I will."

So do us a favor, next time, you wish to post something that you seem to think is humorous, by all means warn us.  :-)

Tom

Tom

- post below may possibly offend - but is meant in jest

Natalie, you go and get mad at me a few weeks ago for making improper jokes about all those horrible lawyers and then you post that. How am I supposed to not say something. Especially when I truly do schedule massages on a bi-weekly basis during tax season to relieve the tension.

And yes, this is just a joke, no happy endings for me <soooooooo sooooo sorry, just couldn't resist.

Yummy!!

Then there are the men who wear a ton of cologne....ditto any woman wearing certain perfumes. I've learned to mouth breathe to survive these. In the good old days of non-PC office, where desks would have an ashtry, some would light up and forget the burning weed while they showed me papers. I had one remedy for those people:

"Oh, good, you smoke," I'd exult and pull out one of these dry Dutch cigars and light up.

BL, after about the first fifteen minutes, I would have just very nicely told the client that it appeared this was not a good time to prepare her return and suggested a follow up appointment without the child. It's obvious that woman is the kind that has a problem with disciplining her child. (See the discussion in general chat about the problem with society.)

D&T, I agree with you about the sick people and people who wear too much cologne/perfume. I hated it when I worked for employers who offered no sick leave, so people would come in sick just so they could be paid. And I really like the way you handled the smokers.

Bottom Line, I like the way you summuarized this thread; well behaved children are welcome in my office (or anywhere for that matter). Your "William" story is the perfect example "children gone wrong". I feel sad for them; they're probably going to have issues thru out life and I place the blame on the parents. But those same parents, just like the mother in your story, are obvlious.

D&T, I keep on my desk, very conspiciously placed, one of those huge containers of hand sanitation wipes. If a client or kidlet looks/sounds/talks about being sick - I pull one out! So far, no ones seems to have taken it personally. We all get so run down during tax season, and need to do what we can to stay healthly ( if not happy) so we can get all the returns done!

My mother had the world's strongest index finger. Whenever I started acting up, she'd just put her hand on my shoulder in what appeared to be a loving touch. Actually she was pressing on that nerve that Spock from StarTrek hits. People always said what a well behaved child I was!

D&T - I like your idea of the sanitation wipes. I'm putting them on the shopping list!

Could you be more specific on the nerve spot - there are a few times I might resort to it!