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Original poster

I made myself look awful

109 replies

Octon · 06/02/2023 21:05

I’m new to MN so I hope I’m putting this in the right section. I just wanted to ask what people think I should have done in a situation I found myself in the other day. I was at the airport waiting for a flight and my DD aged 2 was running around a bit, with me following right behind. I have a leg injury at the moment and sometimes find it difficult to keep up with her, but I was only a couple of feet away at all times. I was keeping as close behind her as possible and calling out ‘careful, careful’ when she looked like she was going to trip over or run into other people. I wanted to make sure she didn’t run into the path of other passengers walking by as it’s dangerous for her and probably annoying for them. I had called at her to be careful a couple of times when she was running towards walking people. At one point she was running at a right angle to a man walking along quite quickly. I followed her, saying ‘careful, careful’ as I went (she was ignoring me and running quite fast towards this person). She didn’t collide with the person, but he looked at me and called me a bigot and carried on walking. He was a gentleman of colour and I suddenly realised that he thought I was telling my child to be careful for racist reasons. This was absolutely not the case and I feel absolutely mortified that it looked this way. What should I have done to try and rectify the situation? Is there anything? As it was, I panicked and did nothing. I nearly went after him to try and explain but I bottled it as I’m scared of confrontation. I’ve definitely learnt to be more aware in future.

OP posts:
Mummyoflittledragon · 07/02/2023 02:34

I didn’t get on with reins at all with dd. I used a wrist band - basically a lead attached to both wrists.

MysteryBelle · 07/02/2023 02:45

Do whatever you have to do to keep hold of her hand, pull luggage on wheels with other hand etc. The guy who accused you of being a bigot is looking for offense where there is none. His behavior was foolish and stupid. Don’t give him another thought.

CrescentMoons · 07/02/2023 03:04

VladmirsPoutine · 06/02/2023 21:55

You were being unreasonable to let your child run so freely in an airport. The man is neither here nor there - an odd thing if he assumed you were warning your child of his presence because of his colour.

Mine had a rucksack and a dog lead clipped on at that age. Snack and drink and nappy in the rucksack. Children should not be running around at the airport

ComfortablyDazed · 07/02/2023 03:08

Calling ‘careful’ after a running 2YO??

LOL.

I think you probably misheard. You were just being ineffective and letting your child be annoying, and he would’ve been saying something in relation to that.

MeetPi · 07/02/2023 03:18

goingtotown · 06/02/2023 22:38

Airports are not playgrounds.

I once witnessed a pair of kids about 4 and 5 years old tearing around a busy baggage area on bags that could be used as scooters. They rammed into several people (including me) without their parents noticing. Then, unaccountably, one of them became stuck in the automatic glass sliding doors leading outside, leading to wails and a security response. Confused

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 07/02/2023 04:06

Ditto to reins. And it’s no good telling a 2 year old to be careful - they don’t understand the meaning of the word.
As for the man taking it the wrong way, please don’t beat yourself up about it. He chose to misinterpret what I’d have thought should have been pretty obvious.

America12 · 07/02/2023 04:18

Your child was annoying people, simple. It's also dangerous for a 2 year old to be running around in a crowded place. If you've got a leg injury you can't keep up , put them in a pushchair.

junglistmassive · 07/02/2023 05:21

If you had your child on reins you would probably offend someone as people get very funny about reins
If you had them in a buggy you would probably offend someone as they would say they were too old to be in a buggy or your buggy would get in the way and annoy someone.
If you let them run around you would probably upset someone (which you did)
You'll be judged time and time again as a parent so please don't spend anymore time worrying about it.
If that man actually called you a bigot - again, only you know if you are or not. I assume you're not and there was clearly a huge misunderstanding. Sounds very much like his issue and not yours.
Well done for taking your 2 year old on a flight on your own with a leg injury! It's not easy and you did it!

Sugargliderwombat · 07/02/2023 06:01

Yeah I'm with the 'idiot' theory I'm afraid. I don't think people actually say bigot, he would have said 'racist' if that's what he meant wouldn't he ?

lowclouds · 07/02/2023 06:10

I don't understand why you were allowing your 2 year old to run through a busy airport and get in people's way. So dangerous for her and everyone else too.

He probably said 'idiot' not 'bigot'.

KatherineJaneway · 07/02/2023 06:13

RedLorryYellaLorry · 06/02/2023 22:07

Are you absolutely certain he said "bigot" and not "idiot" or something else similar sounding?

As pp's have said, get reins for these kinds of trips. Having a toddler running about in an airport does sound both dangerous and annoying

I think he also said idiot and not bigot.

Penguinduvetcover · 07/02/2023 06:18

Could have been avoided if you had exerted some parental control.

Pancakeorcrepe · 07/02/2023 06:19

You really shouldn’t let your toddler run wild in a busy airport. I hate it when people do this, kids have bumped into my legs and luggage so many times. Just hold her hand and keep her with you. Shouting “careful,careful” to a toddler is not going to work. I’m pretty sure the man was calling you an idiot and not bigot.

BMrs · 07/02/2023 06:24

Switchwitch · 06/02/2023 22:08

If your dd is anything like my DS then good luck with the reins but chances are she'll just grab the 'lead' and run off anyway or have a huge meltdown because I WANT TO HOLD IT!!

Kudos to all the parents who have sensible rein-wearing children

I was coming here to give support too.
I remember being delayed at an airport with my two year old strong willed DS and it was one of the worst experiences of my life. Literally tag teaming my husband to follow him around and if we held his hand he would shout "help help" 😂

Second child much more chilled but when you have one of those kids, hand holding isn't going to cut it. Thankfully he's a lovely 6 year old now 😊

doubleshotcappuccino · 07/02/2023 06:29

It's not making sense.. like there's a step missing or you misheard ..

BMrs · 07/02/2023 06:30

You did absolutely nothing wrong OP

ChaToilLeam · 07/02/2023 06:31

Either he misheard you or you misheard him. Think no more about it.

But please, get some reins! Kids that age have speedy little legs but absolutely no common sense, she could easily trip someone up. You’d feel ten times worse if she cannoned into an elderly person who then broke a bone.

Bansheed · 07/02/2023 07:00

Or he said BeCareful sarcastically

Hold on
to to your child

BatshitBanshee · 07/02/2023 07:02

Far more likely he said idiot rather than bigot - it's a bit more accurate to the situation. Letting a child run wild in an airport while pointlessly saying 'careful careful' is idiocy - but to do so with a leg injury?? Lunacy.

Reigns.
Buggy.
Hold her hand.

You had options and IMO not using any of them made you 'look' far worse.

StanFransDisco · 07/02/2023 07:04

Many people are charging round in airports trying to make connecting flights with their eyes looking up scanning information boards . To have a 2 year old running amok with a completely passive parent 100 miles behind them is beyond ridiculous. (If true)

oakleaffy · 07/02/2023 07:06

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Very unlikely.

Anyone with a modicum of common sense would hold their child's hand or use reins.

oakleaffy · 07/02/2023 07:08

BMrs · 07/02/2023 06:24

I was coming here to give support too.
I remember being delayed at an airport with my two year old strong willed DS and it was one of the worst experiences of my life. Literally tag teaming my husband to follow him around and if we held his hand he would shout "help help" 😂

Second child much more chilled but when you have one of those kids, hand holding isn't going to cut it. Thankfully he's a lovely 6 year old now 😊

Show quote history

Reins/Chest harness if a child is that unruly and resistant to hand hold.

DarkNecessities · 07/02/2023 07:10

I agree with the replies here. It’s not just people, cases can cause injury and people are often rushing.

Can I just ask if anyone has any recommendations for reins? Thanks

TodayInahurry · 07/02/2023 07:11

Children should not be running around like this in a public place, it is extremely annoying and possibly dangerous for the child

Flowerpot28 · 07/02/2023 07:12

Hey @Octon I’m black and honestly I wouldn’t have thought that. Please let go of the guilt, yes he probably did interpret it wrong but it’s done now x we’re all in our own world and he took it wrong. ( At least it was at the airport so you won’t see him again 😂)