To think DDs reaction wasn't "not normal"?

[lalala2]

I was out for lunch today with my dad and DD (just turned 3) when a woman came and sat right beside DD as I was cutting up her food and the woman put her face right up to DD and told her to eat up, told her to blow on her food, to use the fork etc and asked how hold she was. DD looked down as she's very shy with strangers and I said "how old are you?", "you're 3 aren't you?" And DD said yes. I said sorry she's really shy, she's starting playschool on Monday so I'm hoping that brings her out of her shell a bit.
The woman then said "that's not normal! No I'm sorry but that's just not normal, she should be able to speak to me!!!" Then she turned to my dad and said "the problem is she's S.P.O.I.L.E.D"

My dad just tried to make a joke about it but the woman was getting really angry and was looking at DD shaking her head saying that's not right!! I was really polite to the woman but I'm fuming a little bit at her cheek, there's nothing wrong with DD, we have a tiny family (just me and DD and we see my dad occasionally) so she's just not used to adults being so forward I think it caught her off gaurd!

AIBU or was DDs reaction totally abnormal?

Obuskate if you want to be annoyed that's your prerogative.
I am standing by what I said, I have no association in my mind with MH and the word I used, I didn't for a minute think the woman had MH, and OP has not said she had MH, so give it a rest and stop labouring a non issue.

The real issue here is that a complete stranger said OP's child was 'Not normal', but obviously your concern is more for the woman who intimidated the child, typical. You've continued derailing the thread and the support for the OP with your nonsensical argument.

Hope you're feeling good in your lofty seat.

"idiot" was once a medical term. Do people get upset about that word? Moron was another similar term. Imbecile as well.

That is entirely your problem. You cannot associate every word used to describe someone acting odd as a slight on MH, people do have to have words to describe types of odd behaviour without being accused of insulting MH suffers. Words like silly, bonkers, fruit loop etc are words people use in everyday language and sensible people take it in the context of which it was said.

Most sensible people do not use the word 'retard' or 'spaz' anymore, infant I remember ever hearing those words personally but then I haven't always lived in England so maybe that's why. People use 'fruit loop' everyday to describe someone just being silly, or simply bizarre, believe me thee are plenty normal people who have thee traits.

I find it really outrageous people diagnosing over the internet, and to make such an issue out of a comment that you know very well was not intended or directed at real people with MH problems really is disgraceful.

merrymouse - I don't find "fruit loop" or "bonkers" hurtful, as such. As part of a barrage of MH-related insults, they might have an impact, but alone, I find them fairly unobjectionable. But barrack chose to defend the use of all these insults, mild and not-so-mild, on the basis that it's okay because we don't know if the woman is mentally ill or not.

You're wondering why I'm disgusted with this? You have blatantly accused me of defending insults directed at MH sufferers on a public forum but wonder why I'm defending myself. What a pretentious person!

Exactly what sillylass just said.

Quite the contrary it is the two of you perhaps who have several bees in your bonnets. In attempt to sound clever you're just showing yourself up.
'Context is very important', I couldn't agree more.

As a volunteer with a local Mencap group I know many adults who could behave like this and not realise the offence they are causing. As other posters have said we can't diagnose as we weren't there but we could all be a little more understanding. In my experience "strange" behaviour usually has a reason - calling someone a nutter or fruit cake is never kind.

YEs stayathomegardener my nan was the same. She looked like a perfectly normal nan but would become really confrontational and aggressive at random times with random strangers, it wasn't her it was the Alzheimers. I always think you never know what a person is going through.

I'll bow out of your warped games. Continue to entertain yourself.

Warped games really

I agree with Sillylass

Why so rude barrack? She's making a reasoned argument and you are swearing. Makes you look like the unreasonable one

I think the woman sounds ill too - that sounds like a completely normal reaction to a stranger. I agree though not to make her feel her shyness is a problem.

No one has any idea if the woman was ill or not. It's sad that the first thing many people think when in a situation like this is that the person is ill/mh issues- not drunk, bossy, over bearing, no idea of boundaries. It's quite possible that people can behave like the woman in the OP without having any mh problems at all.

Dame

I don't think it's sad at all. All are possibilities.