to think this woman was unacceptably rude

[pamelat]

On holiday last week with DH and DC.

DH tells me of the following encounter .

DD (3.4) helping herself (he was lifting her up) to the buffet food. She wasn't messing about but is slower than an adult, she was helping herself with a large serving spoon to something or the other.

Woman comes up, removes the server from her hands (no word muttered) helps herself to the food and then puts the serving utensil back down and walks off

She wasn't British (German I think) but surely with or without language barriers this is utterly unacceptable.

DH says both he and DD were too shocked to say anything.

It wasnt as though there was a large queue, it was a help yourself buffet and no one else around.

Surely she could have waited!!

Bravo, Pag

The woman was rude and wrong, and shouldn't have done what she did. Don't quite share the venom directed at her - but she was definitely wrong.

But if there HAD been a queue then the child should not have been allowed to hold it up by serving herself. There are lots of opportunities to learn stuff like this that don't inconvenience other people. Children should generally defer to adults in circumstances like this.

Oh, and if my child had said the "silly woman" comment, i would have said "Maybe - but please don't say things like that. We should be polite even if other people aren't"

This is all quite amusing now, I think intentionally by some people, I hope so, its very strange.

In defence of my daughter and I, I do NOT think its cute that she serves herself. Shes over 3, I think its normal for her to serve herself. I dont know why people are assuming she was "playing at it" or in someway messing about, she was getting her lunch!!

I (or in this instance DH) lift her to do it as shes too small to reach, but I wouldnt even consider getting her her own food. At home we help ourselves, she isnt particulary slow, just slower than an adult would be.

I make the remark about only wanting "pretty" carrot in an attempt to lighten the earlier aggressive tones. She may have eaten some, she may not, I do not care. I was simply laughing at how anyone could have "need" carrot.

Anyway its very odd and I am very relieved that many people agree. I wont post in AIBU again as I dont like the anti-children/patronising attitudes.

She didnt say silly woman to her, she was too shocked, she said it to DH in a light hearted way (we also teach her to laugh at herself, I think a lot of people could do with lightening up, its not the end of the world!!) when the woman had sat down. Factually, she was correct.

People love an excuse to work themselves up into a knicker-twisted mouth-foaming state, pam, even if they have to invent the details themselves..

aye Hully and pam. Glad that this sorry spoon snatching tale has now reached a satisfactory conclusion.

"Have you considered taking your own spoon in future?"

Can you imagine the horror if had been the child's OWN spoon that had been snatched?

I can't believe I "invented" the flower shaped carrots, but I swear I wasn't in a froth I am on some strong meds atm......

I love grated carrot.Its my favourite.

I don't know if it haw been mentioned and I missed it, but would it be ok if it was a slow adult? If it was a disabled person? I take a very long time to do anything due to a certain health codnition, servin myself from a buffet is one of these things, but I expect that absolutely noone would dare to came and snatch a spoon from me because I'm an adult. Why do it to a child?

How are children expected to learn manners, queing, waiting, when they're not respected?