Anon, I can’t find where I read that. I’ll keep searching and post if I find it.
Ames, I am appalled at what happened to you. Even if you were totally disruptive, no person should embarrass you like that. Especially a man – if he was so makpid on his tefila, don’t you think he would be makpid on making sure not to embarrass someone in public which is MUCH worse? You are a wonderful person and I would have reemed him.
I used to go to shul to daven. I would come at the beginning, stay and daven and then socialize afterwards. Now, since I had a baby, I cannot come. We come in the last ten minutes and sit as long as my son can handle it. If he starts to get even a little noisy, we leave the sanctuary. I try my hardest not to socialize in the sanctuary.
On Purim, my husband and I went to the same megillah at night. We knew that if my son made a peep, one of us would leave and go to the later reading. Since it was bedtime, my son fell asleep on my husband and slept the whole time. Behind me was a woman and her son who was acting like a normal kid – that included making lots of noise, kicking my seat etc. This year I was determined to try extra hard to listen to every word (something I didnt always do in the past) and it made it difficult. I persevered, but I wondered what she or her son got out of Purim – after all, she was talking half the time too!
Oomis, are you slighting Nobody with your “Nobody is “entitled” to do anything, much less something that might disrupt and prevent others from davening”? J/K I agree with you about shul and its a shame that others don’t attempt to respect the davening. I understand there are times where you HAVE to bring your child to shul (an emergency or whatnot), but at least make an attempt to have a clean child and keep them quiet!