I appreciate all the parents out there teaching their kids how to clean up after themselves. The kids section at the bookstore overflowed with families browsing. Toddlers drove the books shaped like cars and pushed buttons on all the noisy books. Parents told their beginning readers, "I think that's too difficult for you, what about this one?" I don't know how many times I heard, "Are you sure that's what you want?" tonight. I spent five hours frantically putting books, stuffed animals, puzzles, and other merchandise in various shelves, bays, niches, displays, and piles. It was absolutely insane. What I don't understand is parents who encourage their children to open things like shrink-wrapped pop-up books and puzzles or who sit there chatting while their preschooler pulls all the stickers out of an activity book. Don't they understand that willfully damaging store property is tantamount to stealing? And that books deserve a chance for a good home, instead of life stuck as a broken display model?
I love it when I hear, "Put that back where you found it. It goes over there . . . see? By the other one!" Bravo to all those responsible parents out there. Give yourself a pat on the back. You know who you are.
Meanwhile, at home I need to learn how to better clean up after myself . . . make that "we need to clean up after OURselves" . I covered for the full time head of the kids department this week and home maintenance went to pot. Ah, well. When I'm not fighting pint-sized retail bandits, I'm fighting mite-sized sugar ants. Any suggestions for eliminating tiny, tiny invaders in the thousands?
3 comments:
OOH, I can only imagine your ant battle with a two year old around.
I wish I could send you my bug stuff but the us postal service doesn't like chemicals being shipped. I remember teaching Madi to vaccum them up when she was little.
good luck.
Sounds like quite the experience at work - I never did understand parents like that either - who do they think pays for something like that? Certainly not them. But such is life I guess. Good luck with the ant problem, we struggle with that every once in a while although we don't do much rather than stray outside and inside, but the still will come back once a year, so I question the effectiveness!
We use a product called "Terro". It's a thick gel. You squirt out a dob on a piece of cardboard. The ants flock to it like honey--seriously. It's a little gross for a couple days watching the hoards come, but then they disappear. It's amazing. We usually have to do it once or twice a summer. It's been the best method we've ever found. I think you can find it in the bug repellent, mice control, etc...aisle of a store. Good luck!
When I worked in retail, I was always amazed by the blatent disregard people had for fitting rooms, merchandise, and the people that work in the store. But, it's a job.
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