To have laughed at this woman

[Fakebook]

Today I was standing in the doctors surgery talking to the receptionist about something and a lady came in with her 7-8 year old daughter.

There is a high shelf type desky thing between the patients and the receptionist.

I was leaning on this desk thing and the little girl began reaching up to it and touching it out of boredom. Cue mother: "NO TILLY (not real name) THAT'S DIRTY". Tilly desisted. Few seconds later Tilly begins touching the desk again. "NO TILLY, THAT'S DIRTY DON'T TOUCH IT". Tilly stops once more. Then Tilly, much to my amusement, bites the desk! Mother (in disbelief): "TIIILLLLYYY?!' Then she mumbled something a bit sternly in Tilly's ear.

I looked at them and started laughing with my "wtf" face. The mother seemed a bit angry/ embarrassed. I felt sorry for Tilly.

Underneath there. That's where the pensioners wipe their bogies yknow.

To be fair I wouldn't want my kid licking the reception desk of a GP surgery

Neither would I. But she did it, even when her mum told her it was dirty and not to touch it. I must be a bad person for laughing.

I'd have laughed! Not at her or being judgey just at the child's antics!

So were you laughing at kid being disobedient or Mum being neurotic about germs?

I'd have laughed!

She didn't technically touch it!

Not v nice to laugh at the woman, though fine to laugh at child playing around.

I wouldn't have laughed out loud, very rude and shows little Tilly that its okay to not listen to her neurotic mummy because even complete strangers think she's barking

To be fair though, gp reception desks must be grim... Never early thought about it much before now

Yes I was actually laughing at them both. Gotta love kids!

I laughed (inwardly) when I told my son to stop throwing stones (more bits of gravel) at moving cars. His next move was to throw one at a parked car.

Not sure why you were laughing. Totally

If my 7yo did this and someone laughed I'd think they were a big unhinged.

I'd have laughed, I like a child that thinks outside of the box.

"Ok, Mummy said no hands, think Tilly THINK! BAZINGA!"

Hmmm hard work this one, 'cos the counter in a doctor's surgery is unlikely to be germ free after the first sneeze of the morning. So Tilly's mum was 100% being reasonable.

On the other hand I don't think I could've not laughed when she bit it either.

Don't think you were Being Unreasonable
But do think it's a weird thing to laugh about

I'd have told my 8yr old to not bite a desk
And told her off if she'd ignored me

It's a toddler-past-time, no? Desk licking?

I can see why you'd snigger. But YWBU to be directing it at her so she'd notice.

I'm being a little sensitive here because this is exactly the kind of thing my 7yo DD would do. And it would piss me off. But apparently (according to school) she thinks outside the box. Living with a child like this is not that amusing.

Yeah. Maybe I shouldn't have laughed at her face and made her feel uncomfortable. Was a very hearty giggle too.

Lynette, your dd sounds cool.

I'd have laughed at the mother being neurotic about DD touching a desk and at the daughter for licking it - but as my name says, that's just me I often find that peole on here don't share my warped sense of humour!

pmsl op that is funny

Don't know if I would have laughed out loud, might have turned away and sniggered though. o people really Not find that kind of thing funny?

I'd have laughed.

In a been there, done that way. Haven't we all had our little horrors darlings do stuff like that?

Maybe the child was really sick and shouldn't be exposed to germs?
Plenty of those in the surgery I would imagine.

I probably would have had a little snigger, so I don't think yabu, although maybe a little uncharitable to do it so obviously. FWIW, I secretly judge parents at my workplace based on the bell on the desk... children always want to ding the bell, and when the mum says "don't do that", I always judge if the child ignores them and carries on.

Nope. She wasn't sick. Her mother was organising a flu jab for her. I wouldn't have laughed if the girl was ill, I'm not that mean!