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AIBU?

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Original poster

have wanted to slap the ignorant women at the Tate Liverpool today???

54 replies

toccatanfudge · 19/08/2010 21:23

when, as we were looking around the Picasso exhibition a man with dwarfism (I'm still not sure that's the correc term is it??????) came in and DS3 (3) wandered over closer to him and looked at him. I didn't drag him away or call him back, I just let him look (and the said man smiled at him).

DS3 then came back to me and asked "why is that man that little".

I paused - as I had a mental block about the correct term (stii aren't - having a really blonde day today I think Blush) - and before I had a chance to say anything this woman stood next to us leant down to DS3 and said "it's beause he didn't eat all his vegetables up"

WTF???????? Yes really helpful thank you mrs ignorant woman. Like spieling crap is going to help/inform anyone ARGHHHH

OP posts:
cornsillkk · 19/08/2010 21:24

silly cow

semicolon · 19/08/2010 21:26

Sorry but I thought that was quite funny

StealthPolarBear · 19/08/2010 21:26

aaargh! Bet she thought she was doing you a favour as well

DirtyMartini · 19/08/2010 21:26

YANBU. What did you say? Did the bloke hear her?

Eglu · 19/08/2010 21:27

TANBU. How bloody stupid.

StewieGriffinsMom · 19/08/2010 21:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

stleger · 19/08/2010 21:27

What way did the man react?

Original poster
toccatanfudge · 19/08/2010 21:27

I think the dagger stares I gave her after she'd said it told her that she hadn't helped at all Wink

OP posts:
sanielle · 19/08/2010 21:28

TBH i think letting your kid wander over to 'have a look' was worse than her silly comment.

emkana · 19/08/2010 21:30

very very very Angry

My ds has dwarfism and this kind of thing makes me so Sad about what the future may hold for him...

Btw I think the correct term is person of short stature, or person with restricted growth

I think, but I'm still learning myself

Original poster
toccatanfudge · 19/08/2010 21:31

Thankfully I don't think the man heard - or if he did he didn't react in any way. He'd just gone into the exhibition and we were part way round it - so were heading in opposite directions. Plus it was fairly busy in there today so a reasonable amount of background noise so conversations not travelling across the gallery.

SGM - yes I've kept holidaying Smile - lovely MNer/FB friend helped me get to liverpool, new man loaned me some money when he came up to see me/his family for a day or 2 after we got here - and managed to withdraw some money across the counter today as well.

Thinking I'm going to be living on credits cards part of next month Hmm )had to replace stuff that couldn't wait - and spend cash where I should have used the card, and bought an extra train ticket etc etc. But we're still on holiday Smile

I thought the Tate was fabulous. DS1 really enjoyed it was well - DS2 and 3 not quite so endeared with it,

OP posts:
emkana · 19/08/2010 21:32

I have no problem with allowing a 3 year old to go and have a look. An older child should learn not to stare etc, but at 3 it's understandable that they are curious and it's a good opportunity for them to learn.

Original poster
toccatanfudge · 19/08/2010 21:37

emkana - I thought of you actually when the incidient occured. And was trying to think of your threads as to what the correct term was.

sanielle - I wouldn't have let my older children wander over and look - they're past the age where they are genuinely curious as to "differences" - and are no longer curious and get a telling off if they stand and stare. DS3 has just turned 3 - he's still learning about the world around him and the different people in it.

I know my mum (in a wheelchair, very bad stoop when she does stand - and when sitting actually as well now) prefers people (especially little children) to "look" rather than be hurried away by parents like she's some sort of monster. I remember in the early days it used to upset her when children would be looking at her - not pointing or being rude - just looking curiously and their parents used to drag them away. So I work off that -

Having said that I guess some people would prefer children weren't allowed to "look" -

OP posts:
sanielle · 19/08/2010 21:38

I just think it would get a bit tiring for an adult who has it his whole life emkana, not sure how old your ds is though, but if they were only young might not be an issue for them?

And maybe I am just being grumpy here, but if i got a rare day out in a museum I'd be unimpressed with 3 year olds wandering around..

sanielle · 19/08/2010 21:39

Sorry if I sound harsh btw, was just how I took it.

emkana · 19/08/2010 21:40

erm... you mean 3 year olds shouldn't be allowed in museums?

stleger · 19/08/2010 21:41

Emkana - I remember threads waiting for your ds to arrive! I logged in from holiday to see if he'd been born. How is he? I had a lovely neighbour who was very small and very glamorous, she would have chatted to kids who asked questions - but there is no reason why people should have to 'explain', I agree.

emkana · 19/08/2010 21:42

Thank you for asking, he's very well! Starting school in two weeks, scarily!

sanielle · 19/08/2010 21:43

Shoudln't be allowed to wander around emkana. No. Can't imagine they wouldn't fuss or be loud either as would be hugely boring I'd think for them.

Original poster
toccatanfudge · 19/08/2010 21:47

no - he can't be starting school surely not emkana - it can't be that long ago Shock

actually I think DS3 initially thought it was a small child with which he could be slightly bored following mummy and oldest brother around the Picasso exhibition, it was only as the man turned around that DS3 stopped and I could see his little face working overtime trying to work it out. Have to say it didn't take him long to trundle the couple of metres back to me from the middle of the space to ask the question.

As for 3yr olds not being dragged round musuems - DS1 (nearly 10) loves art, and as he loved the Modern Art Gallery in Edinburgh I thought it would be nice for him to see some more, and what better than a collection of over 200 Picasso works!

Sadly as a lone parent I either have to drag DS3 (and 2 to a certain extent - although at least as he's now nearly 7 he just quietly drags his feet around after us) round musuems that bore him occasionaly or make DS1 miss out....

OP posts:
Original poster
toccatanfudge · 19/08/2010 21:48

well I did have the pushchair with me - so I suppose I could have strapped him in and had him howl loudly all the way around.........figured him wandering around pretty quietly was the better option

OP posts:
emkana · 19/08/2010 21:49

Well and why shouldn't you, I think it would be very sad if children, even young ones, weren't allowed to visit museums.

Original poster
toccatanfudge · 19/08/2010 21:52

of course having done musuems today (we had a brief look round the Maritime musuem as well today) we have to do something tomorrow that either involves a park (unlikely if the weather is like it was today) or

OP posts:
Original poster
toccatanfudge · 19/08/2010 21:55

he was actually really good today - it was only when we reache a "sculpture" that included an old looking sofa that I had to jump over the "please do not touch" line and yank him off the sofa which he'd made a dive for. Blush...........well if people are going to put sofas in musuems as "art"............Wink

I did apologise profusely to the musuem worker in that particular gallery who was very nice and assured me that he was by no means the first child to make themselves comfortable on the "art" - and probably wouldn't be the last either - phew!

OP posts:
BeerTricksPotter · 19/08/2010 21:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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