Some Superb Loud Parenting happening on my bus right now

[FionasFanjoFondu]

A father - can you believe it - an actual man, has just wheeled a buggy containing a small person onto an real, live Bus.

I know....

I'm not sure if that's very happened before but at least everyone on this bus is in NO DOUBT that this is an exceptional and extraordinary father and a genius child because we are very luckily, able to share in the running commentary.

He has loudly proclaimed to all of us that Leo LOVES busses and has been on them several times.we have been treated to the dames of all the bus stops "now you say it Leo"... abs we also know that Leo is finding it all so exciting and already knows his numbers up to five! I mean..!

Leo would apparently love a carrot stick right now, but so elite are this mans parenting skills, that he has told leo the whole bus that there will "no eating on the wibbly wobbly bus because he could choke".

Later. Leo is having egg and avocado for tea before picking which pyjamas he wants to wear.

He has also just awarded Leo Olympic gold for pressing the bell and explained that "he'd drive it if we let him".

I don't know about that last claim. I think he would struggle to reach the clutch.

But anyway. Just thought people should know that a child rode a bus today neither his dad. I am trying it to feel inadequate.

Why do some take an obviously amusing observation so seriously

Have you been one of those patents

If I sit in a cafe, I can hear chatty adults, loud adults, pompous adults etc talking, and for everyone of that type, there will be a shy adult, quiet adult, anti-social adult having to enjoy/endure them?

I enjoy talking and listening and was the same with all three of my kids. I have one who is a clever introvert, another with low intelligence who is utterly fascinating/hilarious and a third who never stops talking and charming birds out of trees, but who is struggling to read and write at 7.

I am who I am, they are who they are and we all get along great.

I chat in cafes. I chat far less on public transport. If I come to think about it I think it's learned behaviour from childhood. Like thanking the bus driver as you get off. Bus etiquette if you like 😂

Although I would rather people engaged with the child(ren) (although fairly quietly preferably) than bother randomers. Cafes and buses are terrible for people trying to strike up a conversation!

I had quite a judgemental lecture when ds started reception last year from ‘performance’ mum in the playground. She’d cottoned on that ds didn’t speak a word and asked me if I’d read ‘blah blah’ book, because it really emphasised that ds shouldn’t have his tablet in the queue to go into class.

She did at least have the grace to look embarrassed when I explained that ds has diagnosed autism and that rather than arrive early to avoid meltdowns, I was trying to get him used to queues and used a tablet with macaton signs to explain to him that we were 5th in the queue, then 4th etc. I also pointed out that the judgemental attitude wasn’t welcome and I should t have to explain myself or ds to strangers.

As it turned out he is just like his sister and suddenly started talking/reading in one big burst when he hit 5.

She still avoids me

I had a mother on the train complete with a set plastic animals .Joyfully listen to her present each animal with the relevant noise to her child.

Hand on heart I was tempted to stay on to the next stop to see how the fuck she managed with the zebra .

Honestly!

OBVIOUSLY my post was light hearted, but this is not about engaging with you DC vs crappy parents who ignore their children.

This was an observation of a father who was DESPERATE for everyone to see him 'actively parenting'. As I said before, had the bus been empty, I very much doubt Leo would have had a quarter of the attention.

We've all seen it. Most people know the difference between engaged parenting and performance parenting.

R walker what a great way to keep the them child entertained and learning.

Well done that man, he and Leo sound marvellous. Gold stars all round.🤩

@Tooembarrassingtomention

I was on a plane opposite a child of about 3 for almost 3 hours

Her Parents did not speak to her in a sentence at all!

Would they meet your self defined parenting test?

Theres talking to your child and theres boring the tits off everyone.

I think half of mumsnet needs to unclench @fionasfanjofondu! It was a funny post - surely most people can tell the difference between OTT performance parenting which is only for the benefit of other adults and actually talking to children?
I raise you a BIL who not only epically performance parents but does it in a sing song baby voice which makes me want to claw my own ears off.

[quote Hdhdjejdj]@lannistunut I think what this country needs now more than anything is a lot less of that type of confidence.[/quote]
I don't think the government have anything like that type of upbringing - they were all packed off to boardng school and roundly ignored by their parents.

We have a government of empty vessels who are all convinced of their intellectual superiority. I think they are definitely the products of performance parenting.

@Hdhdjejdj

We have a government of empty vessels who are all convinced of their intellectual superiority. I think they are definitely the products of performance parenting.

No, I don't think they are, really. I think they are the products of that kind of soulless results-orientated parenting.

As if any of the cabinet barring Javid were ever on a bus in the first place!

The type of person worrying about carrot sticks and choking simply could not raise the utter cunts in our cabinet.

My favourite was taking young ds round a castle. One step ahead of us was performance mummy with two boys.
At one point we entered a chamber where said boys had commenced a mock sword fight with sticks. Seeing us enter, mummy said loudly" Oh darlings do be careful. Are you re-enacting King blah blah defending the castle against Lord Whatsit in 17whenever?"

Small boys briefly stop fighting and say" Nah. We're being mutant ninja turtles"

@lannistunut Maybe, but the notion of raising children to be showy offy self-obsessed brats just rang a few bells.

My dd has a speech disorder so I would repeat everything I thought she said back to her...and really annunciate. I would also talk a lot to her. I'm sure I was judged by some people. Anyway, bless little Leo, at least he has an involved dad who is trying his best!

I don't even have children, and I absolutely know the different between engaged, normal parent chatting to child and performance parenting including glances at the surrounding people to check they are suitably impressed. They are very different beasts. There's a lot of people on here getting touchy about the former, who really don't need to.