To wish parents wouldn't let their toddlers push their own buggy on a 3ft wide pavement in the middle of the school-run 'rush hour'?

[notnowbernard]

Probably IABU

But it does irritate me

I am all for letting toddlers and pre-schoolers walk as much as they want

But do they HAVE to do this at 8.50am when everyone is in a mental rush to get to school?

OP - YABU. Leave a bit earlier - we have to negotiate the above on a mixed use road with no pavement (so cars and pedestrians share the road left after the cars have parked up) which is fun, fun, fun. First day of school run last year and I revised the journey time to school upwards by 10 minutes...

Rule in my house, or school run was that ds2 could get out of the pushchair once children were inside school and morning rush of adults trying to get places were gone.

I am a sahm so was in no rush to get anywhere important, but understood others were.

So no, YANBU

you miserable buggers

I like seeing "indulgent mums smiling inanely while their toddlers pootle along"

life is too short to huff and puff over things like this

just say excuse me

did i seriously read nothing worse than smug mummies letting their children walk at their own pace??

wow. get over it. just because smug mummy has the time and you dont, thats YOUR problem not hers. leave earlier or ask her nicely to move aside.

Oh Dear

As I mentioned earlier....

NO ROOM to ask to move aside. 3ft pavement. No space for 2 buggies to be parallel. Would have to step into main road. With a pram and 2 Infant-school aged DC

Nah, YANBU

I love toddling dreamy small ones, walking through town, on wide pavements, most places.

But there are loads of people for whom the school run is a difficult time and requires haste. Wandering along doing the 'gee my baby is just so cute, I have all the time in the world' when you have a queue forming behind you is a bit too self indulgent.

I used to wander around with DD but I would scoop her up and step out of the way if we were in anyones way - it isn't difficult.
Just the toddler version of a tractor pulling over every now and again to let the traffic pass.

( and ditto to the cute child on the stairs in the leisure centre while the queue forming behind goes up two floors [grr]. DS2 struggles in queues and I was having to reign him in and talk him through while beaming twat goes 'oh come on darling , well done, can you come on now...' Pick him the fuck up.... )

I would have tapped her shoulder and said something like "Excuse me, do you mind stopping and step aside for a minute to give your LO a cuddle, or a fruithoot, or a sausage roll, or anything to let this huge trail of children who are trying to get to school on time pass?"

There are times and places for letting a toddler do things like this,,,, the school run is not one of those times or places FFS!

There is nothing wrong with letting a toddler do this, but seriously, its just rude to hold up lots of people trying to get to school.

This irritates me too and our school also has a 3ft or so wide path into it. Add to the toddlers pushing prams, the scooters and bikes (pushed by a mum saying 'ooh you're doing really well ..') and the occasional dog. Bedlam.

Then sometimes a mum coming out stops for a chat with a mum going in. Further bedlam.

I find it inconsiderate and selfish.

so again as i said before you could have just asked her to move out of the way....

Nordic Princess

I think OP has said this twice now

"Oh Dear

As I mentioned earlier....

NO ROOM to ask to move aside. 3ft pavement. No space for 2 buggies to be parallel. Would have to step into main road. With a pram and 2 Infant-school aged DC"

Agree, Pagwatch... the toddler on the stairs - grrrrrrrrr.