Shamed at the Duck pond.

[GiveMeAUserName123]

Took my kids to the duck pond today as we accidentally let close to a whole loaf of bread go mouldy. Instead of waste it I thought we could give it to the ducks…..well!

Got there and there was a mum, who if you was to judge on the spot came across as one of those perfect, kind, loving hippy mums with polite kids, she was handing her children what could only be described as real duck feed, they were pellet like and brown.

Also there across the pond was a dad with his young kid, about 4, throwing in peas from a brown kfraft box that has obviously been recycled.

Then us, I’m married, but if you was to judge there and then, a single mum, standing there with her two kids throwing bread into the pond out of the plastic wrapper, with (very slight) mould. Completely inorganic and clearly not saving the world.

The young 4 year old said “ducks don’t eat bread” to his dad who was in ear shot of us, he replied that they do sometimes eat bread as he was obviously being polite to us.

Since when did parents become so perfect?

Just felt like a huge fail as we crossed back over the bridge to read a sign that said “bread kills ducks.”

(My kids didn’t notice the sign thank god!)

🤦🏼‍♀️ Fail

What does a single mum look like?

Just so I know if I've been doing it right all these years

It sounds like you judged yourself.

Nobody shamed you.

Oh behave!
Lovely piece of writing op!
🦆🥰

@FriedasCarLoad hope you're okay

You weren’t shamed at all. The four year old repeated what they knew and the man was really polite to you. Also who looks at people trying to guess if they’re a single mum or not. So weird.

Nobody shamed you. Also what's wrong with being a single parent anyway? I think your post is supposed to be hilarious but it just doesn't really make sense what your point is

My dp, our dc and I went to the park to feed the ducks.
I felt an oddity getting out our plastic bag of bread to feed the ducks too OP as other families wafted past with tubs of bird seeds and pellets and a small boy loudly declared to his Boden-esque mum that we were going to choke the ducks.
Next time I will decant (?) the bread into a Lakeland container.

It’s wasn’t mouldy with green as I wouldn’t have let my kids touch it let alone feed it to animals, it was what I can only describe as extra white in some parts and went a bit hard in some places instead of being lovely and soft as usual.

It was like I didn’t get the duck memo, I haven’t been to feed ducks since I was a child many moons ago and instead of it being a lovely morning I just ended up feeling like it was a fail!! Didn’t realise duck feeding was supposed to be so intricate and precise instead of a relaxing past time 😂

There's a sign on our local duck pond that says something like, although bread doesn't have much nutritional benefit to ducks, and grains are preferable, bread is better than nothing at all and ducks are starving as people have been put off giving bread.

But what’s your point about single parent? What’s wrong with being a single parent?

You sound so ignorant. Ducks are living creatures. They aren't employed so people can use them as a past time.

It's positively trendy to be a bad mum. Look at all the "bad mom" instagam stuff, Motherland on tv, you can even buy Bad mum t shirts on Etsy

It's cool to tell people you're failing at being a mum and extra kudos for saying you hate motherhood while ridiculing hippy, perfect parents who recycle.

Some of this narrative can be done really well for comedic effect. You haven't quite pulled it off here but I see you were going for a cool girl/ tongue in cheek vibe.

When I clicked this thread I genuinely thought I’d read something about you getting shamed but can’t seem to find that part in your post?

You fed the ducks some mouldy bread, a boy commented that ducks don’t eat bread and his father was very polite.

Am I missing something?

@GiveMeAUserName123

It’s wasn’t mouldy with green as I wouldn’t have let my kids touch it let alone feed it to animals, it was what I can only describe as extra white in some parts and went a bit hard in some places instead of being lovely and soft as usual.

It was like I didn’t get the duck memo, I haven’t been to feed ducks since I was a child many moons ago and instead of it being a lovely morning I just ended up feeling like it was a fail!! Didn’t realise duck feeding was supposed to be so intricate and precise instead of a relaxing past time 😂

Not intricate and precise, it’s just nice if you can avoid, ya know, poisoning them

@SmileyClare

It's positively trendy to be a bad mum. Look at all the "bad mom" instagam stuff, Motherland on tv, you can even buy Bad mum t shirts on Etsy

It's cool to tell people you're failing at being a mum and extra kudos for saying you hate motherhood while ridiculing hippy, perfect parents who recycle.

Some of this narrative can be done really well for comedic effect. You haven't quite pulled it off here but I see you were going for a cool girl/ tongue in cheek vibe.

Yeah I think the aim was Motherland-esque, but without the actual funny bits it fell flat.

@sittingonacornflake

As a single mother myself, I bristled at the way you worded that.

It's a shame you think you looked worse because you looked like a single mother. I'm not sure what's so terrible about being one to be honest. Other than reading things like this

Im having a bad weekend and that nearly made me cry. Single mum obviously too.

we accidentally let close to a whole loaf of bread go mouldy.

it’s wasn’t mouldy with green as I wouldn’t have let my kids touch it let alone feed it to animals

@DevilFinger

Our ducks have small amounts and f head along with proper food and veg - like humans it's basically sugary crap and shouldn't be eaten all the time

I would never feed anything mouldy

Mouldy bread fed to ducks could contain a fungus called Aspergillus spp. which can infect ducks and cause severe upper respiratory issues. This fungus can even cause death in ducks.

.

@GiveMeAUserName123

Think a lot of you clearly missed the point of the post!

Everyone there was the only adult, so they could of all been single or married- that’s not the point!!
They was not judging me. The post clearly indicates how they were a step up at the duck pond whilst I was there with a plastic bag and mouldy bread.

So why mention the single parent thing if that's not the point? 🤔

Mouldy? That’s disgusting. And you sound really judgy. Not cool OP.

You sound loopers. Or did you just think this non event would make a good post?

What an odd post - if you are going for humour, I think you missed

I don’t know what you mean, I’m not failing at being a mum, I just didn’t know bread was bad for ducks when everyone else did know! And it very clearly showed at the pond this morning. It was just supposed to be a nice morning doing something different and I turned up like a deer in headlights really!

I have genuinely never ever heard of a duck dying from bread! I’ve since come home and googled it- but this morning I had no idea what was going on!

Yeah as a single mother who used to take her kids to the duck pond (when they were young) I’m really bloody upset too.

What am I supposed to look like? Is there a sign on my forehead? Do I have to carry a bell? What? So that others can judge me the better?

Why are you continuing to ignore the upset you’ve caused to single parents?