FLOUT

April 13, 2010

Flout
\’flaut\ v 1: to treat with contemptuous disregard : scorn 2: to indulge in scornful behavior

“It’s only because we’re responsible for you, that’s all.” I can’t tell you how many times I have uttered that phrase to the many children that infiltrate my job day in and day out. This phrase, often accompanied by “don’t wait outside, stop running, don’t go in a studio without your instructor,” (usually said breathlessly as all one sentence) are just a clear representation of how children are not disciplined and how apples fall perilously close to the tree.
One night in particular, I was at the front desk, waiting impatiently for the last class to begin as it would be the clear signal of the end of the night. A father came in to pick up his daughter and trotting behind him was his little boy cutely clad in his dinosaur pajamas. I inappropriately misconstrued the pajamas as a not so accurate depiction of the kid’s personality. Little Johnny was racing up and down the benches in the waiting area and when laying his eyes on the monitor showcasing each class’ occurrences, dashed quickly inside one of the empty studios, asking his dad to watch him on the T.V. I rolled my eyes and muttered “here we go again,” under my breath.
I calmly got his dad’s attention and mentioned that kids were not allowed in the studio because they may accidentally get hurt. Instead of apologizing and quickly whisking his kid out of the room (as I would have done had it been me), he sneered at me and gave me lip. I thought to myself, “here we go again.” I explained it was just policy and yet somehow, that didn’t seem to make a difference. To add insult to injury, the kid (you know the cute kid clad in dinosaur pajamas?), started egging me on as he ran in and out of the studio faster and faster, blatantly flouting our rules.
I eventually gave up and resigned myself to the fact that if indeed the kid got hurt, it wouldn’t be my night spent in the emergency room. Somehow, that made me feel better and I went back to my work.