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AIBU?

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Original poster

Mother with earplugs in on school run....

78 replies

MissEPankhurst · 01/05/2012 22:16

I've got to ask as I can't get it out of my mind - am I being unreasonable to be having less than positive glowing thoughts about a mother I saw walking her children to school this morning as I was driving home from work: she was pushing a buggy with a toddler in, and had two school age children with her, aged about 4 and 5. She wasn't talking to any of them, and had ear plugs in from her pocket, suggesting to me she was listening to music. And to make it worse (in my opinion) they were about to cross a busy road where it would surely have been necessary to be able to hear the traffic???
There, it's off my mind, out there in the open and I hope I can stop worrying / wondering about them now...Hmm

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 01/05/2012 22:17

The earplug wearing fucker!

Methe · 01/05/2012 22:20

You mean headphones?

CrumpettyTree · 01/05/2012 22:20

I thought you were going to say that someone was wearing earplugs to avoid listening to school gate small talk/bitchiness from other mums. Quite a good idea I thought. :o

notnowbernard · 01/05/2012 22:21

Shouldn't you have had your eyes on the road

WorraLiberty · 01/05/2012 22:23

I assumed her DH snored and she'd forgotten to take them out

Pardon? Grin

manticlimactic · 01/05/2012 22:23

I have headphones in occasionally. I'm more than likely not listening to music. It prevents people from talking to me. I am not a morning person. Grin

knackeredmother · 01/05/2012 22:24

Could she have been on the phone and needed all hands free?

Ineedacleaneriamalazyslattern · 01/05/2012 22:25

I have never done this but only because of threads like this.
There is the odd morning and tbh they are few and far between where the dc have been in a total whinge and I would have loved nothing more than to plug myself into my iPod. Instead I opt to let you judge me on the fact I'm dragging a crying child along that wouldn't get dressed and made us late. we all have off days.

somedayillbesaturdaynite · 01/05/2012 22:26

same thought knackered mother

GrahamTribe · 01/05/2012 22:30

Criminal. Mother of three toddler to 5 yo's wants a few moments to chill out and listen to music as she does the boring, routine walk to school and before she quite possibly spends all day listening to and talking to a toddler and a 4 year old before doing the same boring journey to add the 5 yo to the mix again. I'd call Social Services if I were you OP.

whoputmeincharge · 01/05/2012 22:31

I assumed she was an inspired individual whose kids talked nonsense all the way to school and she hadn't had enough tea to cope.

WorraLiberty · 01/05/2012 22:31

It probably was a hands free phone call to the traffic police

Complaining some nutter's not watching the road Wink

Finallygotaroundtoit · 01/05/2012 22:33

How Sad for the kids. She has effectively switched them off - can't hear them if they want to speak to her.

It's bad but no one knows what else might be going on so can't judge.

Reminsd me of that TV ad that had a Dad listening to music and completely ignoring the baby he's carrying in a sling - I turned it off every time it came on. Horrible.

scottishmummy · 01/05/2012 22:33

she had ear plugs in
wasn't smoking big spliff or owt

GrahamTribe · 01/05/2012 22:35

Finally, it's just as possible that she had the music/OU/German language course on low enough to hear the DC speak to her, is it not?

Mosman · 01/05/2012 22:35

Maybe she was having one of those days ?

miaowmix · 01/05/2012 22:40

I can only hope she was listening to uplifting and respectable classical music or better still, teaching herself Swahili, otherwise this is outrageous Angry.
Listening to music, on the school run?
What if it was grime? Sad
Whatever next?
Sticking cbeebies on? Sad

It's a slippery slope from there.

As an aside, the best bit of parenting advice I ever got from a friend when I was moaning about baby dd crying at night was to wear earplugs. Scandalous but true.

amothersplaceisinthewrong · 01/05/2012 22:46

What a good idea, wish I had done it years ago sometiimes. I am sure the Mother was able to see the road and the traffic. And I am sure she does not do it 24/7. What gets up my goat is those Mothers who talk in a very loud voice normally about something highbrow just so you all know that they are giving little Tristan and Isolde their full attention and are being good mummies.

LentillyFart · 01/05/2012 22:48

Are you a nosey neighbour?

CrumpettyTree · 01/05/2012 22:49

The highbrow Tristan and Isolde mums probably stick the earplugs in and CBeebies on once they get home and no one can see them though. :o

stickyj · 01/05/2012 22:59

I think you're all being really rude to the op IMHO. If you have kids, however much they get on your nerves sometimes, it's first thing in the morning. What is the point in having them if you don't flippin' talk to them. I despair, I really do.

When I had my kids, we didn't have mobiles, we just walked and talked. That's the whole point, you have kids, you talk to them and take an interest.

Now my kids are teens but what will the world be like soon when all you see is adults on phones/listening to music and the kids just sitting in buggies. There's already classes in Childrens' Centres about "how to play with your kids/talk to them and the fact that so many kids are non-verbal/verbally inept when they go to nursery. It'sa job, being a parent and part of that job is to listen to and react to your kids. They grow up so quickly, surely if they're on the way to school, they're off your hand for six hours anyway....talk to them!!

QueenOfF1amingEverything · 01/05/2012 22:59

God, I used to do that all the time! I remember when DD was 2, I was a single parent, at college full time - every morning, I'd stick her in the buggy and walk across town with my earphones in to drop her at nursery before my lectures.

It was the only chance I got to chill out and gather my thoughts before The Day started, and it was a long day - up at 6, breakfast, dressing and readying small child, out the house at 8, college 9-3, collect DD, get home, cook, play, read stories, put DD to bed, homework, housework...

I'd have been pretty fucked off to know people were begrudging me that half hour and judging me for being 'unavailable' or 'switching her off' Angry

Can you not find bigger and more important things to judge other mothers for?

scottishmummy · 01/05/2012 23:01

mn bingo
whats point having them if...
I can't comment on school run never do it as I at work fulltime

QueenOfF1amingEverything · 01/05/2012 23:02

And hahahahahahahahahahaaaaaa @ stickyj

My kids get talked to LOADS, they have both been early talkers and are far too extremely articulate.

Its a snapshot. A moment in time. It tells you sod all about how that parent interacts 24/7 with their child.

QueenOfF1amingEverything · 01/05/2012 23:04

Oh scottishmummy [disappointedface]

You work? You deffo should not have kids. I mean, whats the point?

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