> Although I love museums and museum-going, perhaps I'm not as dedicated as
> those intrepid souls who want to push children in strollers through
museums.
> When my son was using a stroller, I took him for walks, but I didn't take
him
> to crowded stores or crowded museums.  Too darned inconvenient, and
possibly
> risky.

 Hi Listers,

I could not agree more with the above statement. These are times in which
parents take their children everywhere. But not so long ago, you did not
even take a small child out to dinner--you got a babysitter, or you did not
go. So it  is interesting to read the thread heading as -- discrimination.
There was a time that taking a stroller to a museum would have been looked
upon as inappropriate.

I am an exhibiting artist and as my children grew older, we would take them
to an opening reception (afternoon reception, not evening) once in awhile. I
remember whispering to my eight year old son asking what he was thinking
because he was so quiet and he whispered back "Do I sit through this crap
again." I decided to leave him home after that unless he really, I mean
really, showed an interest. My youngest son was into violin when he was
four, so the following year, I took him to a concert by Itzak Perlman. His
first number was Beethoven, but unfortunately it was the Shroeder overture
from Peanuts and I had to remove my son because he couldn't stop giggling.

I been chuckling to myself reading this thread thinking about the people
with their headsets in museums. When they are directed to go to so-and-so
painting they just move that way cutting off whomever, or whatever, is in
their path. With blockbuster exhibits, it takes true dedication, patience
and fortitude to take on such an undertaking with the crowd, the
headsetters, wheelchairs and strollers. On more than one occasion I have
marvelled that there have been no mishaps.I think that public institutions
are being forced to deal with situations that were not even a consideration
in the past and therein lies the difficulty.

Terri McNichol
Ren Associates

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