First off red welcome back, this bothers me also so many times when i am away from home for shabbos i will be in a shul and maybe my dress isnt the same mode of most people in that community ( i dont wear a black hat) or maybe because im single and older and they see i dont wear a tallis whatever it is the kids take notice of me and stare at me it is extremely annoying and the fathers in shul dont pay any attention to what their kids are doing. If you stare back at them they will look away for a moment and then continue to stare with their mouths agape.
