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Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Tiny disappointments in life

417 replies

TeaHagTeaBag · 12/09/2024 20:01

Dh has just put on an episode of University Challenge. It disappoints me every time that the teams aren't actually sitting one on top of the other.

OP posts:
CentrifugalBumblePuppy · 13/09/2024 09:55

Netaporter · 13/09/2024 08:57

Aww @CentrifugalBumblePuppy hugs to you. When she was 5, DD had some kid in her class who was wanging on about her special tooth fairy and how she had the only one who was visited by her blah blah. You know the sort of kid - just a bit mean and always trying to create drama where none existed. The tooth fairy was called Cheryl apparently. When DD lost her first tooth I went to the stationery shop that day and bought a set of the metallic pens with the ball bearing in them (like we had in the 80’s) and some really fancy writing paper and matching envelopes. I then used my best 80’s child swirly calligraphy writing to write a letter to DD from Cheryl explaining how she was sooo special that only the really important children got a letter with the money left under the pillow. DD was so thrilled she took it into school for show and tell. The Teacher loved it and made a fuss of her. The mean kid shut up. Everyone was a winner.

My Mum would never have done that for me either.

That sounds wonderful!

I think having crap parents motivated me to reverse their crapitude & be the parent I wish I’d had.

Don’t get me wrong, my children had plenty of boundaries and weren’t feral (and lucky to have DH & son’s Dad supporting me, we were a great team) but it’s those tiny, almost inconceivably special, small things that can make a big difference to their childhood.

I’m not a Guider any more, but if a Brownie or Guide lost a tooth when away, we’d pop a quid under their pillow (under the guise of a bed inspection once they’d put their beds down in their tents), because it’s a tiny moment of happiness.*

Lots of Brownies who came up to me (as the first aider) with a tooth in a bloody scrap of tissue who would be in tears that the Tooth Fairy wouldn’t know where they were. That little gesture would make a huge difference to their camp experience!

*Yes, I’d put the Tooth Fairy clause in the camp info letter, and yes, I wouldn’t go into the tents on my own (even with the girls lining up outside the tent for inspection). Safeguarding was paramount.

And in all the years of doing it, not one Brownie or younger Guide put 2 & 2 together that an evening bed inspection only happened if a tent-mate had lost a tooth 😂!

ThePrologue · 13/09/2024 09:55

CentrifugalBumblePuppy · 13/09/2024 09:39

Don’t get me wrong, I am a connoisseur of the plethora of dried fruits (and make a mean boozy Christmas cake), but in the Revels Russian roulette, it’s was just a bit… oh.

Actually, rather than being your nemesis @ThePrologue , I am the ideal partner for scoffing a jumbo bag of Revels, as I love the cream ones (especially the coffee one, you’ll have to pry them from my cold, dead hands).

Well, I would be, but as a diabetic I’d better not lol!

Haha!! Ok, i'm not a big chocolate eater, so between us we could make a bag last a year!
Tbh, would rsther have the raisins without chocolate!

honeylulu · 13/09/2024 10:01

Went to Disney world 12 years ago, really wanted to try Dole Whip ice cream but ended up not getting one as it wasn't sold in all parks, or queue too long, or we forgot. Went again this year, finally got a Dole whip in Animal Kingdom on an absolutely sweltering day. It was melting AS the lady handed it to me. I had to bolt it down. It tasted lovely but I got brain freeze 😫

Eventmrs · 13/09/2024 10:01

We had a school trip to the pantomime to see Peter Pan and he didn't fly on his own.

coldcallerbaiter · 13/09/2024 10:02

MorrisZapp · 13/09/2024 09:34

Chocolate cake is an extension of all cakes, none of which hit anything like the way actual chocolate does.

Try the flourless and ganache ones, wow god damn!

TigerRag · 13/09/2024 10:06

That Kendal mint cake has nothing to do with cake!

CarterBeatsTheDevil · 13/09/2024 10:17

I bloody love a bag of Revels, though I miss the peanut ones. Hard to pick a favourite but I'm always excited about the coffee ones as it's so rare to get a really good coffee sweet these days.

Fizbosshoes · 13/09/2024 10:17

MorrisZapp · 13/09/2024 09:25

There used to be a ridiculously handsome security guard in my local waitrose. He was so striking even DP couldn't help mentioning it.

He went part time so each visit was a thrill - would he be there? A tiny shard of disappointment if he wasn't.

He left last year but I still look for him. A part of my life will never be the same. I think DP is gutted too but we don't discuss it.

In a local town to us, there was a really lovely young and enthusiastic shop assistant. Me and DD always hoped he'd be there when we went in, because he was really sweet. (we thought he would be a good kids tv presenter ) The shop closed down and we were more gutted about not seeing him again (and that he would have lost his job) than the actual shop.
Maybe I'll have to start watching cbeebies, just in case...! 🤣

Thedishonthecoffeetable · 13/09/2024 10:22

That the statue of the little mermaid in Copenhagen is, in fact, very small. I know it's called the little mermaid but I just expected it to be bigger

Sethera · 13/09/2024 10:31

Following on from Scotch Corner, there are a few motorway service stations that don't live up to their name.

Hartshead Moor - should be an 18th Century hunting lodge with wood-panelled walls
Ferry Bridge - should be a sea port
Leicester Forest East - should be surrounded by trees
Sandbach - should have a big sandy beach

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 13/09/2024 10:31

Seeing the postman walk past your house - on your birthday. 😭

Starlight1979 · 13/09/2024 10:35

Isle of Dogs..... Where are they?!?!

WeAreWhereWeAre · 13/09/2024 10:37

Years ago my friend went on holiday to America and brought me back some Hershey's kisses, I'd heard people rave about them so was expecting chocolate heaven. As soon as I started eating one, I just wanted to spit it out. It was vile.

Sethera · 13/09/2024 10:39

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 13/09/2024 10:31

Seeing the postman walk past your house - on your birthday. 😭

Do you remember the days when there was such a thing as 'second post'? I used to refer to second post as the 'sea of disappointment' - the thing you were desperately expecting failed to turn up in the early morning post, so you pinned your hopes on second post ... nothing you were desperately expecting EVER turned up in second post 🙁

Georgyporky · 13/09/2024 10:40

Using Tampax doesn't improve your tennis.

sashh · 13/09/2024 10:45

Latenightreader · 13/09/2024 00:46

That the channel tunnel isn’t made of glass. I remember the breakthrough in the middle taking place about the same time I went to the sea life centre for the first time and although by the time I first traveled through it I knew, I am still a little sad every time.

To be honest if it was transparent you wouldn't see wonderful fish swimming past you'd see a streak of diesel and maybe a used condom.

And then it would probably end up covered with barnacles.

Georgyporky · 13/09/2024 10:46

We were doing "Julius Caesar" for GCE O-level, & went to a matinée performance just for schools at The Old Vic.

That great Shakespearean actor Sir John Guielgud got killed, then got up and left the stage while the lights were still on.

Mamadothehump · 13/09/2024 10:52

JackJarvisEsq · 12/09/2024 21:37

Centre Parcs isn’t under a glass dome

The Thetford forest one used to be but then it caught fire and they changed it when they rebuilt it.

GiveMeSomeWaterItsHot · 13/09/2024 10:53

DrFosterWentToGloucester23 · 12/09/2024 21:53

Mr Frosty. Just shit.

At least you were one of the lucky ones that got one 😢 😢

oldmanandtheangel · 13/09/2024 10:54

Not had time to read the whole thread, but my disappointment as a child re Piccadilly Circus with no circus
Isle of wight not being a tropical island with palm trees and white sands

inkblink · 13/09/2024 11:03

My parents waxed lyrical about a box of Black Magic when I was a kid - I was extremely disappointed by the lack of magic. Also disappointed by a trip to Fine Fayre (ex-supermarket) and there being no rides

PfishFood · 13/09/2024 11:05

Baseline14 · 12/09/2024 21:02

Red velvet cake is the most aesthetically pleasing biggesr disappointment there is.

Indeed. It seemed so fancy when I first saw it, so imagine my disappointment when I realised that it's just a chocolate cake (and I'm not a massive chocolate cake fan as they're not chocolatey enough!) with red food colouring and tasteless soft cheese icing!

Give me a proper chocolatey chocolate cake with chocolate ganache any day!

PfishFood · 13/09/2024 11:08

DrFosterWentToGloucester23 · 12/09/2024 21:53

Mr Frosty. Just shit.

Noooo.... I hankered after one as a kid. Always on my Christmas list, never got one.

Then, a couple of years ago my DPs bought one for me for my 41st birthday! I was delighted, but due to circumstances around my birthday I never got round to using it, and shamefully it's still in its box, unused! Perhaps I should just leave it now, if I'm only going to end up disappointed!

(I definitely had visions of using it to make a frozen strawberry daiquiri...!)

ImDuranDuran · 13/09/2024 11:16

@WoahThreeAces Same 🤣 or sitting alone with 'Mummsy'!

I remember thinking if it were me, I'd try to complete the task in hand just to pass the time. Clearly I needn't have bothered. Gutted.

afaloren · 13/09/2024 11:18

Getting a packet of sweets and there being too many orange or cola ones.

When I was little my Nan gave me a jumpsuit which she called a flying suit. I excitedly asked, ‘Oh how does it fly?’ and then was crushed when everyone laughed.