Does this bother anybody else?

Correct me if I'm wrong but I've never seen a child in any of the games before, have you? Maybe I'm wrong and my memory fails me.

It's just there to humanise Shepard and as a crux for the (awful) dream sequences.

It's just complete arsegravy of course. I never gave a flying shit about that kid. Also yeah, I'm pretty sure this is the only time you see a kid of any sort apart from Grunt.

I think this is the first time we have seen one, but that isn't what is bothering me about the kid. What bothers me is the horrible dream sequences they force us through, the kid should just die and then never be mentioned again.

Then it would go something like this:

Shepard: Get outta dat vent kid!

Kid: Noooo!

Reaper: *DUUUUUUMMM* ima firin mah lazor!

Kid: Blargh... *dies*

Shepard: Oh well... To the Citadel to dance at the clubs!

Because it's more dramatic.
 
Easy drama? Introduce child>KILL THAT CHILD>DRAMA>???>PROFIT

Yup it's dumb. I've got a bet on there being a puppy you have to slaughter in the upcoming dlc.

Just to let you know that if you touch other people's kids, you should burn in hell. Getting with a 109-year-old asari? Robbing the cradle, Shepard.

as a really weak, blatant, needless, ham-fisted swing at some drama / weight ... oh no a child a poor innocent child - now it's REALLY personal. it also doesn't make any sense in context because millions of other children have died already. kind of weak that shepard is so affected just because she saw the kid for 5 seconds before he died.

the dream sequences are bad as well.

For our necrophiliac needs of course! 
 
(Early game spoilers)