To think if there's a time for performance parenting this wasn't it?

[ilovesooty]

Earlier today. On a shuttle bus going from the airport terminal to the plane. We were crammed in to the extent our noses were almost in each others' armpits. A couple got on with a toddler in a buggy. He immediately wanted to get out so they let him. He used my legs to pull himself upright. His father picked him up. Then both parents began very loudly "Where are we going? On an Aeroplane! Who's taking us? The pilot! How many aeroplanes can you see? Aren't you clever to count to eleven? Now shall we sing the song about holidays you learned at nursery?"

And they did.

WiBU to hope they would shut up once on the plane?

Disclaimer - lighthearted - it only annoyed me for five minutes of my life.

Ohhhh, lighthearted mocking of strangers, with an undertone of "thank goodness we know better!" Gotcha.

I don't have a problem with the OP - it seems quite affectionate and 'there but for the grace of...' by the way. And it enabled Worra's anecdote, which is fabulous.

I wan't to change my name to Black Cunt now but I think it probably guarantees a banning eh?

I didn't expect people to take it the s seriously. I did say that they said "Aren't you clever to count to eleven?" which struck me as a bit strange given that the child was a toddler.
As I said, not a massive real though.

And as I said, he seemed like a lovely little boy.

Everyone knows you don't call a child "clever" #growthmindset #noobs

How are they wankers though?

Oh lordy, lighten up.

The wankers thing was a joke

I have no idea about their masturbation habits and that's the God's honest truth.

These threads always hit problems because there are posters who just can't ( or won't) see the difference between performance parenting and talking to your child.

Performance Parenting threads scare me. Everybody gets all stressy and start justifying whatever it is they do that may or may not be viewed as PP.

It's quite the Bingo subject on here.

Sorry all

Its when the parents look around for a reaction that makes me laugh!!!
There's a school mum like this and it cracks me up tbh

Don't worry sooty, I got my dabber out and my card's nearly full.

Meh, I always chatted on to mine. Unsurprisingly they are confident and chatty kids. Made no difference to me if anyone was listening in or not. Is it still performance parenting if there is only you and your child there?

No Tinkly you need a captive audience for PP. Otherwise nobody to perform to.

I think what would have annoyed me here was the loudness of the parents' talking. If you are in a very cramped place like a shuttle bus where there is barely room to breathe, loud conversation of any kind which rings through the bus - not to mention singing - is decidedly antisocial. So I'm with you, Sooty!

I grinned when I read this as I'm usually that annoying parent that's playing games/singing/reading with my DD in places like waiting rooms, queues etc. but I'd rather be that parent than the knobjockeys who bellow at their DC every five mins because they're bored and won't sit still.

Yes, Worra's black currant post was very funny but I actually spit my tea out at reading this gem by her: "Because I'm a short arse, I end up wearing someone's armpit like a hat everyday on the bus to work ". Perhaps it's because I can relate.

I talk to my kids like this all the time, mainly because I'm a hyper chatterbox. I never realised we were performing, ooops

Performance parenting is for an audience - they address the child like a public meeting and get little back.
Talking to your child can be loud but they interact with the child - it is not done to impress other adults.

Yes, usually the child is silent/giving the PP a 'WTF' look/ignoring them.

Better it was pretty loud. They probably could have heard them halfway down the bus. It was only five minutes though - it was quite funny but wouldn't have been amusing for half an hour given the intensity and the volume.

It's an irregular verb:

I interact with my child
You try too hard
They performance parent

Actually Sparkling once the little boy had stopped counting he did give them a bit of a wtf look

The child has never worked out they should reply- they can never get a word in edgeways!
Parents generally stop once the child speaks- they let them down with 'wrong' answers

Ohh, that is a perfect definition, multivac!!