Do you listen to/for children?

This morning, Rosemary told a man in the Co-op five times, ‘I’m on my way to ballet’ and in the end I had to say, ‘She’s talking to you’. Then she was standing in the aisle when an older man wanted to get past and he said, ‘Are you in the way again?’ Why he couldn’t say, ‘Excuse me’ I really don’t know. Don’t children deserve a bit of politeness, too? In fact, how are they supposed to learn it themselves if adults don’t model it to them? 

I also find that some mums only listen to/for their own children, while others pay attention to any children who talk to them. Personally, I prefer the latter and hope that I tend toward it myself, though I admit I can sometimes find myself ignoring children, including my own, if I’m engrossed in a conversation.

So, what about you? Do you listen to other people’s children or just your own? Do you get down on the ground and join in with the children’s play when on playdates? If a child talks to you in a shop or on a train, do you respond, ignore them or initiate a conversation or game?