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AIBU?

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Original poster

To want to scream at people "she is 2!"

62 replies

girrafey · 28/05/2011 14:10

AAAAhhhh just want to rant really.
I have 3 dc, dd1 is 6 and has been big for her age since she was born. She was 6 this month and wears age 9 clothes. Is tall and slim and beautiful.
Ds is 3 and slightly under for weight and height but catching up.
dd2 is tiny. She has not really grown much since birth.8.15lbs.
All medical problems ruled out, she is just petite. She however rules my 3 dc and is full of character and a complete dare devil.
She has just gone into 9-12 month clothes, yet is 2.5. So yes i agree she does look funny when doing certain things.

But to the old woman who screamed at me in tescos - she is 2, and wanted to walk around lugging the loaf of bread, i didnt make her!!!! It's what toddlers like to do!

To the mum outside school.- Yes she is old enough to follow dd1 and ds on the trim track at school! she does it every day, and is more than capable, you didnt need to lift her off saying it is not for babies! and then argue that she doesn't look 2, and was i sure when i explain!

To the air stewardess - yes i am sure she is 2, yes i am sure i paid for her own seat! No i dont think she will be better laying down in a sky cot!

To the woman in the playbarn. - Yes my dd2 is dry in the day, no i didnt give her psycological damage by doing it under the age of 1, and yes i mean she is 2!!!! So she was perfectly fine having a treat of some gummi bears aswell!

aaaahhhhh i do know how old my dd is! why do people look at me like i am lying! Had a bad week with this, and i know it is a little thing but with everything going on at the minute it is getting to me! Rant over.

OP posts:
boolifooli · 28/05/2011 15:01

DS is a titch. In reception but in 2-3 year clothes. I overhear other mums saying he's too young for school and one mum suggested I'd forged his birth cert. to get him in early, jokingly of course. Some of the mums only ever talk to me to mention his stature, I've been at the school for some time but the conversation never moves on from it. It is tedious.

gkys · 28/05/2011 15:05

slave labour good for you Grin

skybluepearl · 28/05/2011 15:09

I've a boy who will turn three this month in 18 month clothes and a baby boy aged 4 month who is rapidly catching up and will overtake at some point in the next year. Will expect 'are they twins' at some point! Except that the younger one will be saying goo goo gaa gaa while the older one has the speech of a 4 year old which always shocks people. I'm quite looking forward to all the confusion to be honest.

just remember the best things come is small packages!

icooksocks · 28/05/2011 15:10

My ds2 is 18 months and about the same height as your average 3 year old and ds1 is 3 next month and is in aged 4-5 clothes. I'm pretty fed up up of telling people that ds1 will NOT be starting school this september as he's not old enough to the reply of really? Are you sure?!
Luckily despite ds1's monster size he still has no hair Shock and a baby face so people just generally believe me and comment along the lines of "wow he's huge".

saffy85 · 28/05/2011 15:16

YANBU your DD sounds lovely and yes, mine really loved to help at that age too! The woman you encountered sounds like an utter loon- does she really think you turfed your child out the buggy so she could carry the bread for you?! Does she not realise that actually, it's usually alot more helpful when toddlers don't want to carry the shopping? Grin

FWIW my own DD has always been on the big side, with tonnes of gorgeous hair and I have been asked on many, many occasions if I'm "sure" she is the age I say she is. Hmm Well duh. Obviously.

TheHumanCatapult · 28/05/2011 15:19

i get lot of looks dd is 8 but not much bigger than your average 5yo .Ds3 is almost 6 and looks about 3.Dd is quite confident and will correct people herself but they still look at me to confirm

But ds2 is other way was 14 in ebruary and often gets asked which beer he wants when we go to the pub for Dinner .I reply very quick none as he is 14

CotesduRhone · 28/05/2011 15:26

It is annoying. My friend replies to all the "Are you sure?" questions about her son's age with an extremely polite and cut-glass "Yes, indeed, I remember pushing him out of my vagina quite well".

BreastmilkDoesAFabLatte · 28/05/2011 15:31
libelulle · 28/05/2011 15:38

re woman in tesco, I think you need to perfect a death stare accompanied by joyce grenfell-like 'how DARE you speak to me like that!' Friend of mine once stopped a riot policeman in his tracks with that one.

My DD has very little hair and is small for her age too, luckily so far all that's happened is that she's been mistaken for a baby genius for her amazing talking skills. I never bother telling the gushing old ladies in question that at 3, talking in full sentences is, well, fairly normal really...

beesimo · 28/05/2011 15:41

My DD3 One of twins was tiny as a small bairn and is still very slight compared to the rest of the family, she has very mild CP, although you would never know it when she is on the back of a horse, as its mostly her legs that are effected and she is sharp as a tack. I used to worry my self sick about her and really struggled in letting her do anything. My DMIL used to say 'put the lass down she can walk it herself' but I just wanted her safe in my arms all the time.

I had a wise old owl showing me the way although I bitterly resented her at the time she was right in what she said and DD3 is far better for her imput. I think you our handling having a 'little one' much better than I did and I think you should be very proud of yourself.

perfectstorm · 28/05/2011 15:51

I sympathise. DS is enormous - in 3 year old clothes at 2. He looked 2 at 1 and could only just walk and couldn't speak, and people now expect him to behave like the other kids his height at playgroup etc when he just can't. I feel badly as I am average build, so didn't twig the issue at first. (My mother's side of the family are so titchy one cousin was almost put on growth hormones when younger - then they looked at the family tree heights and said nyah, just a short arse... my dad is huge and so are my half brothers, and DH is 6 ft 3, so DS is like them. Healthy, normal, but always looks older.

At least you can get stuff free? I'm always being asked to pay for things he is still under age for.

nometime · 28/05/2011 15:54

Opposite problem here, DS1 always been huge, but people in supermarkets do seem to think that they have a right to comment! Remember when he was 2 1/2 looked about 5 and was having a real paddy in Tesco. One mature (!) lady gave me a really tutt and foul look and started talking in a very loud voice about badly behaved children.

You need to practice a really polite but steely put down - I did.

Toughasoldboots · 28/05/2011 16:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MenaZovut · 28/05/2011 16:08

My son is over 1 and still loves the nursery bouncy chair, he's tiny. Always makes me smile when a parents looks shocked to see him suddenly get out of it and stand! He gets away with murder because of his size. I think it makes them tiny terrors.

MadamDeathstare · 28/05/2011 17:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WhereTheWildThingsWere · 28/05/2011 17:30

Oh I would be tempted to go the other way, just gush, 'yes, she is soooooooo advanced for 9 months isn't she? We already have her enrolled for genius school'.

People should really just feck off and mind there own business, when I was enormous with ds (polyhydramnios), the amount of people who told me 'Oh you can't be seven months, you'll drop that tomorrow Hmm'

MissBetsyTrotwood · 28/05/2011 17:33

DS2 is tiny as well. He's tracking on the 0.2nd centile, nearly 3, still wearing clothes for 9 - 12mo old. Plus he has a balance disorder and hearing loss so he looks as though he 's only just begun to walk... Apart from this he's a strong, cheeky, normal and healthy child who believes he's 4 just like his older brother. We get so many comments about 'oh, is he old enough for a scooter' and 'Really? Will he be okay for pre school in September?'

MumblingRagDoll · 28/05/2011 17:38

Oh bugger them all! Next time say "Yes, she's 9 months and a genius. We are going to be featured in a documentary soon and we are making a tonne of cash out of her!"

KaraStarbuckThrace · 28/05/2011 17:45

My DS is small for his age, in 2-3 trousers (with elasticated waists pulled all the way in, he has a skinny butt!) and 3-4 tops as he has a long torso. He is 3.5.
He started walking 1 day after his first birthday, where he looked around the same size as some 6mos. Kept getting comments "Oh he is too young to be walking!" and "oh he should still be in a pushchair!" when he decided he didn't want to use it any more at 2.5.
A friend had the opposite problem, her DD is very tall for her age, towers over her classmates and she was always getting neg comments especially when she was a toddler. She was the height of a 5-6yo at age of three. You'd think the fact my friend is 5'11 would have clued people in that her DD was tall for her age, not that her mum was lying about it Hmm

redpanda13 · 28/05/2011 19:09

YANBU to be upset about the woman in Tesco but she does sound a bit mad. It is so frustrating when people stick their noses in.
DD was a huge baby though now is average height 5 year old. I once took her to the playpark with my niece. Niece is running around playing with another family. DD is getting more and more excited watching them. Mother of other children keeps staring and eventually she couldnt keep it in 'She wants out. Will you not let her out the pram to play?' Me 'No she can't walk yet as she is only 9 months old'. I found that quite funny unlike when a man told DD she was too old to be riding a trike. She was only 18 months old!
I just don't know why people feel the need to comment.

mitziw · 28/05/2011 19:33

god there are some twats about! i am still amazed at the rudeness of strangers. my son has always been tall for his age and at 2 looked alot 4 so i was told very often that he shouldnt be in his buggy (i dont drive and would walk miles) usually old woman but once by a bt workman in the street, god i turned on him, i'd had enough at that point. twat. what if he couldnt walk, why are people so rude? grrrrr

i like the idea of agreeing she is a baby and freaking them out with her genius!

NomadInNowhere · 28/05/2011 19:36

Yes they do Fairy, It makes them feel 'grown up'. My DD is 18 months and loves helping out and carrying a little bag, she used to have tantrums if I didn't let her! It's just them wanting to feel independant.

siilk · 28/05/2011 19:58

I feel your pain. We were at a local community event when DS1 was about 2.5 when some well meaning person asked me what school he was in! I pointed out that he wasn't at school yet. Cue funny look from other person - I then pointed out that I didn't think that school took on 2.5 year olds.

My youngest ds is just 9mths and is already wearing 12-18mths clothes and I also stick him in 18mths to 2 with no probs. People always assume he is over 1. Drives me insane. But I just smile and point out that he is only x mths.

While DH and I are both on the short side, the men in my family are all over 6' 2 so not that suprising really.

microserf · 28/05/2011 20:30

i sympathise OP, we have the opposite problem and have people expecting too much of our DD when she is just 2. also, had a dear friend whose child had growth issues (now thankfully resolved) who had very similar experiences to you.

no solution other than saying "god, she is so advanced for 2 and a half, isn't she" everytime someone makes a remark?"

my dd looooves carrying stuff round the shop, from as soon as she could walk. so not sure why mad tesco woman had a go at you.

UrsulaBuffay · 28/05/2011 20:39

My 2yr old insists on pushing the trolley. She did push it into an old woman when I wasn't looking though Blush

Whatever their opinions, that tesco woman would've come away with a lot more than she went in for had she met me! Angry rude cow.

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