To credit MN for the way I handled this rude woman at the shops?

[Primafacie]

... When I felt a bit hurt, humiliated and angry at her comments?

I had an encounter this morning which up till now I thought only ever happened on Mumsnet :)

I was food shopping (M&S, not that i think it's relevant but so I am not accused of dripfeeding) with my DCs (aged 2 and almost 5). I always park their scooters by the store entrance (on the inside), which itself leads to the inside of a shopping mall, and is guarded by a staff member. We (and the store) are in a very safe, family friendly area.

As I was heading for the tills, DD nearly 5 asked if she could wait for me by the scooters. I said yes, as she is very sensible, I was only going to be a few minutes, and in my own risk assessment, this is not a risky situation.

Two minutes later, I emerge from the queue with my shopping and DS in tow. A woman (I am guessing around 75, again not really relevant but don't want to DF) is talking to the security guard by the door, pointing to DD who is waiting by the scooters. She sees me and says 'is this your child?' Conversation then goes like this:

Me: 'Yes she is'.
Her: 'I really don't think it is advisable to leave your child here, anyone could have kidnapped her'.
Me: Rrright. Well, I disagree,and I think she is perfectly safe here.
Her: but you are wrong. Anyone could have taken her. This is really dangerous.
Me: Well, that's your view. I happen to think we live in a good society and I don't see abductors and paedos everywhere.
Her: but you are wrong, you see. She could have come to harm.
Me: so you have said, several times. Look, I disagree with you, and I am not interested in your views. I didn't ask for your opinion. When I was her age my mum used to send me to the shops on my own. Now please leave me and my kids alone.
Her: Happy new year.
Me: and happy new year to you. Now please can you stop following me?

All this without raising my voice, or stopping smiling :o

All the while she was trying to get the poor security guy roped in to tell me off - to his credit, he never opened his mouth.

Still feeling a bit offended, but meh - hardly the end of the world.

So, thanks MN. Can I get my shiny badge now?

Too right.

Gecko, that reminds me of an old MN thread where someone was accused of child abuse because she only held up ONE of her DS's feet while changing his nappy.

Bloody hell. The security guard could easily be purposefully distracted whilst someone took your child.

You could never100% say your child wouldn't see someone with a dog or a baby in a pushchair or something else that drew them to it and you'd never forgive yourself.

I'm with the old woman. I think people would be screaming neglect if your daughter was abducted and I'd agree with them.

Sometimes kids are a pain in the arse and it would be nice just to get them to stand over there out if the way but that's not what being a parent is about!

Madame had the child been taken I can imagine a few mnetters shouting 'neglect'

But there just isn't this influx of people who want to steal kids in Britain! They just don't exist.

CCTV, incredibly quick police times etc etc.

The risk of a child being taken is tiny, the risk of them not being found within an hour is so slight it is not worth thinking about.

Spend time worrying about house fires etc, that is at least more common and likely to end in tragedy.

Leaving a child in a safe place unsupervised is not neglect depends what one classes as 'safe' I suppose.

There's no need to bring up Denise Bulger, she didn't do anything wrong and was not neglectful, who said she was?

If you are going to leave your child unattended in a supermarket, the booze aisle is probably the best place to leave them.

Would-be child stealers won't be looking in the wine aisle for unattended children.

I think of everything, me.

Where was the CCTV when James bugler got taken gecko I know there was CCTV filming as it was shown on TV , neither less it didn't prevent him from bring taken .

There isn't an influx of kiddie stealers but they do on occasion get taken.

I for one would never want to take that minuscule risk that with my dds, it's too high stakes .

I just find it bizarre and idiotic that grown women turn in to laughing hyenas when other parents want to shown concern over the safety of their own children.

But it's not your child. It's Prima's. And she did what she thought was right in that instance with no harm to her very sensible child.

Yes Marmalade, those pesky kids can hide on the 3 bottles for £10 shelf , won't fall far.

SanDiego-agree completely with both of those posts.
Yes op made her choice,reasoning it with the fact that as they were in a nice area,shopping in m and s and that her 5 year old is sensible it's a perfectly acceptable thing to do.
And then comes on MN to gloat about telling a lady to basically mind her own business after she shows concern that a young child was stood alone.
Also im unsure what her age has to do with it,I've managed to call the lady a lady rather than an old lady in all of my posts.
If my mum-an old lady-approached someone out of concern about a child being on their own I would hope she wouldn't get spoken to like that and her attempt to help be ridiculed and disected on MN.

Blimey this thread went a bit mad.

Booze aisle is a great idea. Maybe under the fag counter too.

My mum is a nice older lady, she might just say oh just checking she was with someone or similar but not bang on and on like that.

That was the rude bit.

Sheesh.

The fact some of you give your children alcohol is vile. There is absolutely no need for it what-so-ever. The others who find it funny are just as bad.

I feel sorry for your kids.

What about becks blue? That's ok?

Don't feel sorry for my kids.

They're having a whale of a time! I feel sorry for your kids. I bet they're bored stiff with Panda Pops.

God Panda Pops that takes me back! Do they stoll make them?

Marmalade Grow up.

Harold, how did you guess DD's name?

Anyway, allow me to introduce DS, Scrumpy Jack.

You do know that judgypants worn that high up can cause strangulation, don't you?