To have asked a 4 year old and 2 year old to let me sit down in the Doctors pharmacy?

[CandyLoo]

At a small, tightly packed, busy pharmacy opposite Doctors surgery.
3 chairs (barely any standing room).
A lady, and the 2 children taking up the 3 chairs.
2 children not ill, in there with their Mum collecting a prescription.
No free chairs, I asked if I could sit in one of the chairs.
Mum moved one of her children, the other moved to stand with her sister.
Mutterings from the lady next to me, and when she left, said rather pointedly to the child, 'Here you are love, sit in my seat'. They left soon after.
By this stage, the pharmacy was very busy, I have no qualms giving up my seat to anyone older than me or simply if anyone needs it.
AIBU? The lady sitting next to me obviously thought I was, rude comments about me to her husband when she was outside.

How do you know the children weren't ill? It's not always going to be obvious. Before now in the pharmacy I have sat 2 year old Ds down and stood myself.

The mum could have probably sat both on one seat though.

How odd. I would have thought a child was more in need of a seat than I was due to small tired legs / staying close to mum / out of trouble reasons. Oh, and the fact that they were there first and I didn't technically need the seat so wouldn't dream of asking. I also wouldn't expect a preschooler to voluntarily give up their seat out of politeness.

I am guessing their ages, obviously preschool age.
I'm just trying to make the point that they were young children.

There was also a time black people were not allowed at the front of the bus, do we still find this acceptable today?

I don't think it is in any way similar to a child interrupting a conversation TBH.

I am disabled, and I wouldn't have asked the children to move. I would have hoped the mum might have moved one of them, but I wouldn't have asked!

Regarding the 2 adults talking and a child interrupting I'd be annoyed if it was an adult interrupting or a child so that makes no difference.

OP I'd still love to know how you knew they weren't ill as you seem to be avoiding that question completely.

If I had been the OP I would have been saying to myself: I have no means of knowing if any, or all, of these people is ill or disabled as it often doesn't show on the outside. The only person here I know is fit and well is myself. I shall therefore remain standing.

Even at 4, my dd's (invisible) condition made it very difficult for her to stand up for any length of time. I was always happy to give up my own seat instead, but tbh if I had found out later it was not for any valid reason, but just because a total stranger felt the urge to teach dd manners, I might have felt a bit

Limburg I thought children were taught to wait to speak because it was rude to interrupt/talk over people mid conversation,not because "adults take priority".

These children will be adults one day after all.

I'm not a doctor, I don't know for sure that they weren't ill.
I'm just using my judgment and the fact that mum walked in saying 'I'm here for a repeat prescription'.
Yes, it could have been for one of her children, I'm just saying as I saw it.

Learning not to interrupt is a valuable social skill as it's considered rude to interrupt people, unless it's really necessary. When it comes to seats in a pharmacy, then it's first come, first served, unless someone comes along who has a greater need of the seat, e.g elderly, pregnant, ill or disabled. Why a healthy 38 year old adult would expect to take a child's seat is beyond me. I wouldnt dream of expecting a child to guve up their seat for me. It can be difficult enough doing errands with two young dd, without someone coming along and demanding a seat from them.

I wouldn't have moved my child for you - unless you are elderly or ill you have no more need or right to the seat than them. But then I always let kids go before me in the queue for the loo and would offer one of them my seat if they were very small or looked tired.

Good point brandy, it's a power thing isn't it?

CandyLoo I don't feel that pointing out how young these children are is making you look any less rude or entitled.

Just answering the question I had been asked!

I'd have thought even a healthy 2yo is more likely to get tired waiting than a healthy adult.

You shouldn't have asked for a seat just because you fancied a sit down. Bit entitled int it.

This is a joke thread, first they were all sat down, then a random woman was sat down and mum was standing and now OP was there first to listen to her ask for repeat prescription.

OP - do you randomly request seats on packed trains/tubes/buses from children too?

This is a joke thread, first they were all sat down, then a random woman was sat down and mum was standing and now OP was there first to listen to her ask for repeat prescription.

Agreed.

At least its not a thread about cyclists/ 4x4s/ private schools though!

DS1 could well have sparked a post like this - asthmatic, so I like him to stay still if possible when he is ill. But if he is sitting down and has just had his inhaler he doesn't look too bad, not blue or gasping for breath. Get him moving and he is clearly ill. We had just such an attitude at the emergency Doctors on Saturday night, with a mothher demanding her younger child be pushed up the queue in front of these people who were clearly not ill. DS1 was given a weeks course of steroids and is still not better. But hey, he looks ok so should not sit down, is that right OP?

I don't really understand why you needed to sit down. I would not expect people to think a 38 year old needed the seat unless they looked unwell. Sometimes it is better for young children to be seated rather than running around and TBH they were there first and needed the seats as much as you.

Personally I would have moved my little one onto my lap if someone came in and looked as if they want to sit down but I think you do sound a bit rude.

Did you know children, like women and all other races are also human to.

Firstly I think the children were probably a little bit young to understand the whole respect your elders thing and woudn't have been likely to stand for you spontaneously.

Secondly the mother was already standing so it seems she was trying not to take up all the seats already. Maybe if you'd waited she would have moved them.

Thirdly do people of only 38 really consider that others should respect them due to their age? What will you be like when you've got your bus pass and a pointy umbrella? :)

YABU. How bloody entitled.