Ever think boutiques and department stores should take a cue from those sorta snooty no-children-allowed restaurants and offer toddler and teenager-free afternoons of shopping? You're not alone!

Toddler in ballerina costume for Halloween Getty Images/Comstock Images

According to today's WWD, a new report finds that customer service is downright dismal in Australia, and respondents cited rude, pushy, or lazy salespeople as the prime culprits. When asked how their shopping experience could be improved, they requested lower prices, greater online selection, and one other thing that really struck me: "Separate shopping times for children and teenagers and even a total weekend or afternoon ban on kids."

Maybe I'm just a still-childless jerk, but that kind of sounds like the best idea ever to me! Mothers of small children won't have to feel bad about causing a ruckus with their screaming brood or navigating strollers through tiny aisles (as long as all the mommies are doing it, who cares?!), and the other shoppers can find some peace in the mall for a few hours. Then again, I know from my niece and nephews how hard it can be to find the time to shop when you have kids, let alone finding a babysitter to stay with them, so I can see a "total weekend or afternoon ban on kids" causing an uproar among parents. But a girl can dream, right?

What do you ladies think of the concept of child-free shopping hours? Do you mothers out there find it offensive? Do my fellow childless types think it's rather refreshing? Would this system improve your shopping experience, or is it needlessly exclusionary? Do the Aussies have the right idea? Discuss!

PLUS!

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