Quality Time

Kudos to Dr. Joseph Herman for his Dec. 10 letter (on the issue of taking babies and toddlers to theaters), which deftly proves that possessing a college education guarantees neither manners nor intelligence. The simple fact is that even if infants and toddlers are not enjoying a night out with their “loving parents” when they disrupt movie theaters, they are receiving practical instruction in their parents’ moral values, or lack thereof:

Lesson No. 1. Always insist on your right to be insensitive and rude. This will come in handy later in life when you assert your right to whistle, sing, scream, birdcall, yell, talk, whoop and holler during concerts, plays and movies.

Lesson No. 2. Form is more important than substance: “Junior, I know you’re not enjoying this movie, but it makes your mom and dad feel as though we are spending quality time with you when we drag you along.”

M. L. TATRO

Downey