I recently changed jobs. My new position is at an elementary school. I work with two classes of first-graders. Before that, I worked the customer service desk at a department store (which shall remain nameless). In the past few weeks, I've noticed frightening similarities between the customers that I used to help and the children I now spend my time with.

For instance, sometimes you talk with a person, and their logic just doesn't hold weight. I had one conversation that primarily consisted of requests, then DEMANDS, that I do a certain thing. My repeated refusals followed. After I said "no" one final time, loudly and firmly, it was countered with, "But I want you to!" Petulant child? Sadly, no. Grown woman, trying to return a worn-out pair of shoes. (Apparently, if you can't wear your shoes regularly for more than two years, you deserve a full refund.)

Another time, someone came up to me who had blatantly ignored the directions they were given - with disastrous results. Of course, they expected me to fix everything for them. Unfortunately, again, not a small child. Another adult, who had washed her sweater with its brooch attached. The best part was that the tag, although battered and frayed, was still clipped to the brooch. So was its capital-letter message: "REMOVE BEFORE WASHING."

One way I have noticed that first-graders and customers do differ is in terms of sympathy. I've got a pretty bad cold at the moment. Whenever I was sick at the store, customers were just impatient. They didn't want to wait in another line, so they'd settle for as little time breathing the same air as me as possible. The kids, however, are much more understanding. Today, when one little boy was misbehaving; the girl next to him turned and said, "The teacher's voice hurts. Don't make her have to yell at you." There's nothing like being respected in your workplace.