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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To wonder if some people just pick at anything when you have little children?

18 replies

itsmymastercard · Yesterday 17:07

I went in a clothes shop today and it is one where dogs are allowed. My children found a dog and after checking with the owner knelt down to stroke it. While they were doing that a sales assistant came to me with a very anxious look on her face and told me not to let my children kneel on the wooden floor in case they got splinters. I just said ‘ok, well we’re on our way now anyway’ and she kept repeating herself about splinters and the floor. We’d have left by that point.

It just felt so silly and inconsequential as they really weren’t doing anything wrong but it made me feel all self conscious about my lax parenting. I only wanted to buy a top on sale!

OP posts:
Yearningallovertheplace · Yesterday 17:12

Sounds like a loon

ContractorQuestion · Yesterday 17:21

You’re projecting something on to this incident that just wasn’t there based on what you’ve described!
All she did was warn you that the wooden floor might give your kneeling kids a splinter, she was trying to be kind. You’ve portrayed it as though she was complaining about your parenting while allowing a dog to roam the shop (what significance is the dog?).

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · Yesterday 17:22

Some people definitely just like to be telling mothers of small children what to do I think!

itsmymastercard · Yesterday 17:24

@ContractorQuestion i guess it’s one of those where you had to be there but it wasn’t kind. It wasn’t ‘oh you might want to tell them to be careful’ it was more ‘remove them!’

@GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing it really annoyed me to be honest and I don’t normally sweat the small stuff.

OP posts:
itsmymastercard · Yesterday 17:25

The significance of the dog is that is why they knelt on the floor, BTW.

OP posts:
Legomania · Yesterday 17:25

Some people are weird and have poor social skills

youalright · Yesterday 17:26

Sounds like she has some kind of learning disability i wouldn't take it personal

Daysgo · Yesterday 17:26

And if they'd got splinters you'd be threatening to take them to court ... Look after ur children.

itsmymastercard · Yesterday 17:27

Daysgo · Yesterday 17:26

And if they'd got splinters you'd be threatening to take them to court ... Look after ur children.

Of course I wouldn’t and what sort of weird court tries shops for splinters Confused

I don’t think she had a learning difficulty but I appreciate you can’t always tell.

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Ellie1015 · Yesterday 17:28

Shop assistant sounds a bit ott. I would have said "I'm not worried, I can deal with any splinters"

Dont give it any more thought you and your dc did nothing wrong.

itsgettingweird · Yesterday 17:28

I’d have just said “that’s ok their kids - they are use to have splinter removed!”

It’s not about judging parenting - people just see risk everywhere now and rather than realising we accept some basic risk they try and prevent it by not doing anything.

JayJayj · Yesterday 17:28

If the floor is that bad they might get splinters then they need new floors! I would have just said “ok” and not thought about it again

Thepeopleversuswork · Yesterday 17:29

A lot of people are just terrified of life and see risks and hazards everywhere. It must be exhausting.

youalright · Yesterday 17:30

itsmymastercard · Yesterday 17:27

Of course I wouldn’t and what sort of weird court tries shops for splinters Confused

I don’t think she had a learning difficulty but I appreciate you can’t always tell.

If she kept repeating herself over and over again about splinters I would say its highly likely she had some kind of learning disability. Other people may say it once but they wouldn't keep saying it especially while your leaving so basically speaking to herself at this point

Bitzee · Yesterday 17:33

If it was rough bare floorboards in a vintagey sort of style then IDK maybe she got a splinter herself kneeling to do the stock and didn’t want the kids to get one too. Or maybe she’s a total loon. Hard to say without seeing the floor but I don’t see how she’s picking at you and the kids? Am I missing something? I’d just have said ‘thanks for letting us know, kids be careful the floor is a bit rough’ or something that effect. Then moved on with my day and forgotten all about it.

itsmymastercard · Yesterday 17:35

I guess it was because it was telling me to move them rather than just unsolicited advice about splinters!

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Waheymum · Yesterday 17:45

I wonder if she knew something you didn't (not splinters, they could have rats, somebody could have vomited on that bit of floor earlier or the day before, all sorts of things)...

CallmeMumchkin · Yesterday 19:44

I think sometimes the fear of the consequence and parents reaction to the consequences is a bit wild.

We recently went to a kite festival. It was in a field. DS was flying a kite, and walking backwards...as you often do when kite flying. One of the organisers came over and went to great lengths to explain to me that DS shouldn't walk backwards when flying a kite in case he falls off a cliff.

I appreciate it likely came from a place of kindness...but we were nowhere near a cliff!

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