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Original poster

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

117 replies

ZeldamayXWA · 19/06/2020 21:00

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?

OP posts:
MintyMabel · 19/06/2020 23:51

I myself am not on furlough, I'm in the very lucky position of not having to work, I stay at home while my husband chooses to work.

He’s probably desperate to get out of the house.

SleepingStandingUp · 19/06/2020 23:52

Tbh given the current pandemic I'd just avoid alleyways op

Rachie1973 · 20/06/2020 00:15

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

I vote for a clap!

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Families
Wearywithteens · 20/06/2020 00:17

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn at the poster's request.

FrothyB · 20/06/2020 00:30

Let's say I'm the Dad in this given scenario. I'd like to think that we'd smile politely at each other, I'd encourage my daughter to move over and explain to her why as she was doing so. If she was taking a while with it, I'd probably give her a helping had. We'd smile again, say thankyou, you for me moving across, me because you waited patiently and we'd all get on with our day. That obviously didn't happen.

For me to react negatively in some way, it would only happen after I sensed something negative or impolite from yourself. Maybe tutting, an under the breath comment, whatever it would be. Because the reality is, you're not more important than my daughter, not to me, your right to be on that path does not supersede ours. Would you rather I swoop down and pick her up as you approach us so that you don't need to break your stride?

If the children we're being deliberately naughty, saying no, refusing, moving away from the parents so that they couldn't get them to move them along a bit faster, then maybe you'd have a justified reason to show some annoyance.

Also, you don't have a human right to not be mildly inconvenienced whilst on your morning walk.

I'm sure I've bitten down on a bait thread here, but I've seen so much entitlement in the real world recently (people walking the opposite direction to the arrows in supermarkets and expecting people going the correct way to move over for them, as an example) that it's really starting to wind me up.

OhYeahYouSuck · 20/06/2020 00:41

@ZeldamayXWA

Lou197 - I'm genuinely sorry that you might be in a position where you lose your job. I myself am not on furlough, I'm in the very lucky position of not having to work, I stay at home while my husband chooses to work.
Yeah OK OP. Nice try.

Next time just kick the fictional children into the road like any normal adult does.

user1481840227 · 20/06/2020 00:48

Instead they just started grinning at the little brats and gently trying to encourage them to move when they felt like it.

What do you mean by they started gently trying to encourage them to move when they felt like it?

toinfinityandlockdown · 20/06/2020 00:52

Lockdown with toddlers... the poor parents are probably just about keeping from full on mental breakdown.

missyoumuch · 20/06/2020 00:54

This is so similar to a post a few weeks ago where a woman claimed a group of children blocked her path in the supermarket, and when she tutted at them they and their parents all screamed at her and called her a racist.

My response to that and this is the same - there is more to the story if in fact it ended with an adult screaming, which is not normal in a situation of people trying to simply pass each other.

mortforya · 20/06/2020 00:58

You are not the most caring of people, are you op 🙄

expat101 · 20/06/2020 01:03

I'm still at a loss why an elderly couple with a walking stick and walking frame, needed to step off a sidewalk at Peterborough to get around a young 3 generation family who had no intention of letting them pass safely on the sidewalk.

There are some entitled arsehats in this world. You might have met the next generation of them.

LonginesPrime · 20/06/2020 01:10

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?

Fucking scary way to look at human rights OP - regardless of the situation, the fact there is an easy way to coerce a person should not diminish their human rights.

In fact, the reason people's human rights have been codified in law is precisely because the people who are most at risk of being 'picked up and moved' need protections from those in a position to pick them up and move them.

Men are often able to physically overpower women - does that mean women should have fewer rights than men?

And why do you feel you have a human right to walk on a path? It's a fucking path.

wasgoingmadinthecountry · 20/06/2020 01:14

Got a bit bored but you couldn't just walk past quickly because???

1forAll74 · 20/06/2020 01:33

If you are going to go out for a walk,and get agitated at some people, and some children.then you need to stay home do something else.

DontStandSoClose · 20/06/2020 01:46

I never normally correct people but it is past.

You sound rude to be honest. If it was a station in the middle of London and they were in the way then ok yes be annoyed as everyone there is on some mission to get to wherever, but out for a walk in a small town, no pressing engagement, nope. I have two small children myself I’d say “come on mind out the way, this lady want to get past” I don’t grab them like a dog.

FlamedToACrisp · 20/06/2020 02:17

Well, you've been told, OP. How absolutely dare you spell words incorrectly and mention social class, let alone expect people to control their children and allow social distancing??

Next time, walk towards them, coughing, without covering your mouth!

GlummyMcGlummerson · 20/06/2020 02:24

Im no longer surprised at how my children inexplicably decide to stop and do nothing or stare into the distance, for no apparent reason, especially in public. And especially when you need them to move Grin what are they doing FFS.

Anyway OP, unclench, they're kids, this is not something to be cross about

grey12 · 20/06/2020 04:02

To be honest, my 3yo will get out of the way easily. My 2yo not so much...... Sometimes it depends on their own personalities and development.

Toddlers don't have more "human rights" but they do have less social awareness. And as adults we need to be more patient as we would be as well for an adult with less social awareness.

Thepigeonsarecoming · 20/06/2020 04:14

I would say if I was walking alone and came upon a family group I would get out of their way rather than the other way around. Except of course I don’t believe for a minute any of this happened. Another one for the fictional CV vault

BatShite · 20/06/2020 06:13

I think they were just nasty people who wanted to get in the way.

Maybe. Not sure who is the nasty one in this though given you did describe toddlers as brats, for the crime of apparently having parents who wait for them to move.

ThunderR0ad78 · 20/06/2020 06:18

I'd love to hear their version of events!

Jeremyironsnothing · 20/06/2020 06:20

Karma will bite them on the bum, when they reap what they sow.

BatShite · 20/06/2020 06:31

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

Can't believe people are attacking the OP. That family didn't have the right to block the path for other people.

If this sounded even slightly believable..I would agree the parnts could have done more. I still wouldn't be calling the toddlers brats though for this.

But the way its put across just doesn't sound even half true.

Everything seemed to be put in the post including the parents grinning and their class, and age and other weird additions. Meanwhile, 'excuse me' was not mentioned until someone else asked if it was said. In an OP thats giving so much detail, really they would say 'I said excuse me and they just rolled their eyes at me, the evil scoundrels!!!' or something.

I cannot see a parent actually answering with 'you have to wait for them to move' either, and IF they did..I would think the usual reaction would be some kind of comment back to that, or outright laughter at them Grin

Yeah. Its a bit overdone to have happeed the way its claimed tbh.

My prediction is the OP was standoffish which is no crime. But also walked up to the kids and just did that blank stare/glare thing that adults seem to do to kids, instead of just saying excuse me. Because the kids did not realise that OP was glaring at them, or that a glare is OPs way of saying excuse me instead of just saying it like anyone else would, there were crossed wires. Kids clicked on, moved into the space that the OP could have stepped into to get past them. OP went past. OP rages ever since. Or similar.

I am left wondering where the children could actually have moved to, if there was no way at all the OP could go around them? I am sure there is an answer but its too early for my brain to work right it seems. Just taken my meds too which is not a good combo with 6am tbh.

BatShite · 20/06/2020 06:40

This is so similar to a post a few weeks ago where a woman claimed a group of children blocked her path in the supermarket, and when she tutted at them they and their parents all screamed at her and called her a racist.

Ha, I didn't see that but I would put that one in the same category as this tbh. So many people with children apparently radomly scream at those who don't have children with them for no reason at all, it is odd. I do hope I witness this thing thats apparently so common but really quite odd some day Grin

Allnamesaregone · 20/06/2020 06:41

This is such a non-problem I can’t believe you’ve actually taken the time to post OP.
Maybe you should log it with NASA?