I can handle the running amok stuff in public far better than I can endure it on my turf. I really hate it when parents visit with their kids, and just let them wander through my house, and then act all offended if I walk away from the conversation to see what little Jayden is doing with my antique bone china collection...
I still shudder at the memory of the mother of easy child 2/difficult child 2's friend from school who was extremely determined to come to our house even after I had said no, it was not convenient because I was not well and husband had a bad sprained ankle, and who then let her profoundly autistic son wander through my house chewing on everything including difficult child 3's new toys, while difficult child 3 grew increasingly agitated and hysterical. I was already doing her an immense favour by letting her daughter stay overnight, against my better judgement. She would take no hints; when I finally said, "I'd better give you a lift back to the ferry, it's almost 6 pm," she calmly said, "Oh, I'm planning on catching the next one."
I had to say, "6 pm is the last chance ferry, after that you're stranded and the B & Bs in this town are all booked up. And expensive anyway. And with your daughter staying, we're all out of floor space."
She moved fast after that one. So did I - but as it was, she nearly missed the ferry. Cow.
The next time she asked if her daughter could come and stay (only his time she wanted her to stay with us for a long weekend, and our girls weren't really friends any more) I happily said no.
Whenever I see uncontrolled kids in public, I just cast my mind back to that horrendous afternoon of my trying to entertain this kid or chasing him around our house while this woman obliviously chatted to my husband in his armchair, his leg bandaged and up on a footstool. And I feel so much happier knowing I'm out in public, and they're not my problem.
Marg