Im usually really pleased with the service I get from Barclays and my children have always been welcomed there but today I found myself wanting the punch the woman on the other side of the counter.
I only went in to deposit a cheque and withdraw cash and don't usually do chit chat but she stood up to look at my baby over the counter... this is where the fun starts...
First she said: 'Is that your little girl?' ... to which I replied 'No its my boy' smiling... her reply back 'I can only see blue and cream which can be either' and sat back down.. When i worked in retail when I was just out of school I would always say (if I wanted chit chat about babies) I always said something along the lines of 'Your baby's gorgeous' or 'How old's your baby?' so I didn't get the gender wrong. He's 4 months old too btw, its not as though he's newborn.
She then want on to say 'your first?', my reply 'no he's my second, my eldest will be 3 in October'... her reply 'you don't look old enough to have two kids'... I was livid! I just smiled and said 'Well i'm 24 this Saturday'...to which she repeated.. 'Yeh, you don't look old enough to have two children'. She didn't say it in a 'oh you look young for your age' kind of way, she said it in a 'you shouldn't have two kids at your age, you probably don't know who their fathers are' kind of way. And the way she looked at me... like I was dirt. She went on to tell me that she has ONE son who is 7 years old, he's current at his grandmothers because his dad is a teacher and has had to go into school during the holidays... again said in a snotty way. What I should've said was 'oh well my CHILDREN..yes both of my children have the same father... is an IT consultant for a global company'.
By all means, I think myself I do look younger than 24 but I do not expect professional staff to make such comments, especially when they're said in such a snobbish, rude manner.
AIBU?
AIBU thinking about complaining about a Barclays staff members comments?
manfalou · 22/08/2013 14:26
You are massively over-reacting and reading way too much into this.
I don't really see anything wrong in what she said! 
She didn't say anything of the sort 
You're interpreting a look.
It sounds defensive and you have no reason to be.
I love it when people tell me I don't look old enough to have a 9 year old... Even said in a snooty way id lap it up. In fact my dream is that when dd gets to around 18 people will mistake us for sisters... Yes and we will go clubbing together and I will wear leather trousers and get chatted up by the same bloke! 
Anyway... Yabu and totally over reacting... What would be the basis of the complaint?
What are you going to say in your complaint? The conversation was polite enough but there was just something about her tone you didn't like?
Sounds like you are letting your own insecurities override what was said here as it all sounds normal to me! I doubt very much the lady in the bank would be handing out insults to customers she doesn't know about children and fathers etc... 
You sound as if you think there's something insulting about a baby girl being mistaken for a boy.
To be fair, though, I don't think you are being completely unreasonable to think it was rude of her to keep pushing the point about your age - it's nasty and judgy.
Not something I think I would complain about, but I get why you're fed up.
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