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.

YWNBU. I was also NBU for laughing at little boy in school playground who, when told not to get his clothes wet in the puddle, stripped his trousers and pants off and jumped in it...have never seen a toddler strip so quick

uggh my 7 yo dd did this only the other day in the library, i nearly boaked

I have OCD. You would laugh at me too.

It's not nice to laugh.

and i sniggered at myself, in between gagging

She must have an underlying condition to qualify for a flu jab.

Why did you have to tell us that after I'd just said YWNBU??

I don't quite understand why you think the mother was neurotic. If a young child is touching stuff in a gp practice it could be dangerous and by the time people have coughed and sneezed dirty too.
I would have just thought you were a bit childish yourself for laughing if that we're me.
However saying that I'm also the person who laughs when people trip up in the street and I always think 'that was so childish of me to laugh must stop doing that'.

I used to belong to a doctor's surgery where the receptionist tested urine samples with urine sticks at the desk, in front of the rest of the waiting room. I know most people can't aim into those little bottles so that desk must have been covered in wee from down the side dribbles. If my child was vulnerable, and even if she wasn't, I wouldn't be thrilled by her touching the desk.

Yep the little girl probably has underlying asthma to qualify for flu jab. That's nice of you then op!

Why did you give a WTF? face?

Why not laugh in a slightly more empathetic, kindly, laugh-with-you sort of way? I'd given you a right odd look in return if you'd given me a WTF? face, 'n all.

. The flu jab is offered to all school age children in our surgery. My DS and dd have been offered one. They have no underlying conditions. I'd think at 7/8 years old a child would be fully aware of their illness and wouldn't go around touching/biting things that would make them more ill. That said, there are far more lethal germs in public places. The desk is often wiped down with antibacterial spray (my sister used to work there).

Anyway, it was funny at the time. No I wouldn't laugh at every neurotic person I see. I'd feel worried for them if they were acting super neurotic.

This was woman was practising loud parenting at its best. A simple stern "no" would have done the job. I laughed because she was practically shouting for the whole world to hear.

Who can say they've never laughed at someone unintentionally, without knowing the ins and outs of the person you're laughing at? Some really hysterical replies there. .

Well I laughed op. Love it!

MN is getting more hysterical by the minute if you ask me.

This has been me. DS went through. Phase when all the tills and desks like this were face height, so he started licking. He'd look at me, check I was looking and them start licking the desk. aaaarghh. Little toad.

through a phase....

My dd went through a phase of doing this around the age of four. The worst moment was when she was licking a pole on the subway in New York.

No, loud parenting would have been "Tilly darling, you know that's covered in bacteria. Can you remember which bacteria? That's right, cryptosporidium!"

Jugsmcgee, you're absolutely right! That would have left me in fits!

I've just been diagnosed with OCD. You'd probably laugh at me, and you'd be right to. In my more 'normal' moments, I laugh at me too, I do ridiculous stuff!
This has made me ROFL, especially 'think, Tilly, THINK'.
I don't think you're mean at all.

btw - I'd expect someone to laugh at me when I say 'Oh DS, PLEASE stop licking the desk' in a resigned voice. At least then it's given someone a laugh

I'm with Lynette. I don't think it's funny at all, it's not what you would expect a 7 year old to do.

Ooh! That's the first time I've done that on Mumsnet

A little smile to yourself, or smiling warmly at the mum and having a sympathetic laugh with her is one thing.

Giving the mother a WTF look and laughing at her is quite another.

Her DD might have a medical condition that means her neurotic behaviour might make sense.

She might (like me) have OCD and this scenario may actually be terrifying for her, in which case some smug person in the cue ahead of her laughing at her is not going to make the situation better.

I suppose I've been the recipient of this type of sneery, ignorant behaviour in the past so I'm a bit sensitive about it (though personally, my OCD doesn't focus on germs as much)

AIBU to think maybe it would be nice if more people exercised a bit of empathy and compassion towards the people around them?

Laughing at her with a 'wtf' face?

You sound lovely.

What you are describing isn't load parenting .

Most 7 year olds still don't lick furniture.

There may be a reason why the child doesn't follow instructions without an explaination, ASD etc.

If your sister worked in health care (even as a receptionist) you must know that when cross infection measures are put in place in any care setting, infection/illness rates fall, hand washing and keeping our hands off surfaces helps.

Talking and explaining things to our children is not load parenting.

People are supposed to verbally communicate, as we are not telepathic (which would stop the need for most theads about family problems on MN, tbh).

I like the sound of Tilly! I would have laughed too, but quietly and without a wtf face.

I probably would have giggled too

But then I wouldn't have been offended if someone had giggled at me in the same situation. I remember an entire bus stop queue going up in hysteria when I spent 10 minutes telling DD2 not to put her hands in a puddle repeatedly only to then turn and find her on all fours having picked up a manky MacDonald's straw drinking said puddle... No hands of course I was horrified, but even I had to smile a bit!

I'd have laughed too. Like I did in the library the other day when:

Dad: we have to be quiet now
Child at full volume: whhhhhy?
Dad: yes, chance would be a fine thing...sigh