Why do people find it so difficult to get their children out of the way?

[ZeldamayXWA]

I am the mother of two small children but I also like to go for a walk in my small hometown without the children sometimes. I went for a walk early to avoid the crowds and strait away I encountered generic middle class, middle aged, mummy and daddy with two small children a similar age to my own boy and girl.

I waited for the parents to move the children as they had obviously seen me standing there waiting for the boys to move so I could get passed. Instead they just started grinning at the little brats and gently trying to encourage them to move when they felt like it. So I was polite and waited for the boys to move, they just got off their bikes and started staring at the field.

It was a narrow area and there was no way I could get passed without the children being moved, Emphasis - they are children, the parents should have the required level of intelligence to move them out of the way. I know I would have been able to get my two children to move for an adult who wanted to get passed.

Does anyone else think it is abnormal for toddlers who can be picked up and moved to have more human rights than an adult who needs to get passed them? I know they were toddlers and the husband screamed at me "They are toddlers you need to wait for them to decide to move"

How is this behaviour acceptable? Also am I losing my mind I was so shocked by these rude parents complete inability to have any authority over their children. Any thoughts?

Hand hold OP, our thoughts and prayers are with you

Yes OP
We could have a universal hand hold for you.
I may even light a candle.

@ZeldamayXWA

Kaykay066 - there wasn't any room to walk passed or I would have done. I think they were just nasty people who wanted to get in the way. I did say excuse me to the children when the dad screamed at me. I do think they will have problems with their children when they are older, clearly had no control of them.

No control over children because they encouraged one or two year olds to move, rather than physically picking them up and moving them? Why did you expect them to move before you even said 'excuse me', how can children learn if adults don't treat them like people?

Was the walk down a walled alley? If there's no room for you to pass them... Where were they to move to, to allow you to pass?

How do you get through your day OP

Some people let their kids rule the roost and do what the heck they like. Some don’t believe in telling their children no (ever!) or setting and boundaries. Some don’t believe in even correcting them when they are horribly rude and disrespectful to their parents or others.
Regardless, not much you can do as a mouthful of parenting advice isn’t going to do anything to help. Just squeeze past. A 10 second encounter passing a couple of young kids isn’t gong to give you covid

I wonder how the other side of the story would go?

I couldn't get past the v annoying incorrect use of 'passed' but it all sounds very annoying and unnecessary. Other people's children are often a pain though OP. Don't worry.

OP you sound like the lunatic who dashed up behind my toddler twins, huffing "I'm behind you! I'm coming past you!" Almost knocking one over.

As opposed to the usual civilised norm of calling "excuse me, could I come past please?" And then waiting till the parent has guided their child out of the way.

What are you like with slow elderly folk, eh?

Human rights and toddler, how deep.

I’m not enjoying your tone about this, they are brats because the parents didn’t hurry them along as per your expectations? For one that is not the children’s fault. I also just don’t believe that he screamed.

“They are toddlers you need to wait for them to decide to move"

At that point I’d have just laughed in his face and said “good luck when they are teenagers”

Middle class, middle-aged
Little brats
Human rights

Such a lovely OP.....

Middle aged. You lost me at middle aged.

Who's going to join me in clapping for the OP tonight after their traumatic incident.
FFS

Well, ain’t you a peach OP.

I sympathise to some extent, OP. Where I live it's a fairly common occurance for parents (not just the kiddies) to block the entire pavement with their brood and expect you to step into the road to pass them. And this was pre-lockdown. It's an area with a fair number of very entitled folk, mind you

Why were they brats? You're sooo edgy, OP.

Can't get past "passed and strait"!

It's straight and past.

where were you walking op that you couldn't get past two adults and two small kids? Was it an alleyway?

• Who's going to join me in clapping for the OP tonight after their traumatic incident. FFS*

It's not Thursday.

Hmmmm.....is this for real?!

Past not passed
Straight not strait

If this IS for real, then I don’t think we’re getting the full story here. Is there anything you did to exacerbate the situation and make the man scream at you? If someone is giving me hostile/antisocial vibes then I’d be much more likely to take my time whereas if they were friendly and polite there’d be more motivation to move out of the way quickly.

This would have pee'd me off, too OP.

You were obviously waiting. A simple "Come here and let the lady pass." would have been sufficient for most children, but they didn't bother.

Just sheer bad manners and entitlement. I'll bet if the situation had been reversed and you had been the ones blocking the path they would have been arsey about that, too.

They should have shifted their kids - and yes - picked them up if necessary.