To be annoyed with parents allowing their "just walking " toddlers to wander aimlessly

[Ab1000]

When I'm on my lunch break I'm always in a rush to get stuff done. It's so annoying when parents allow their kids to toddle around and get in everyone's way. I have two children so I do know what it's like but mine were either on reins or had a hand firmly held.

[TitaniasCloset]

Failyfail thank God above you were there, you were that weeuns guardian angel that day. Mother deserved calling a lot worse.

I was still holding my kids hands at 8 too! Tubes and trains terrify me with small children.

Anyway. Big star for you!

[TitaniasCloset]

Sorry! daily fail I meant!!

[Ericaequites]

Scooters are not inside toys. They don't belong in cafes, shops, or museums. Check or chain up the scooter before proceeding indoors.

[TheFairyCaravan]

Old, disabled and toddlers, know your place

I am disabled. I rely on crutches and believe me toddlers toddling in busy areas makes my life a hell of a lot more complicated. I need to be able to see what's happening at eye level or just slightly lower. I can't keep my balance looking down all the time.

I was in Ikea last week and was almost knocked to the floor by a child of around 6 on a pair of Heelies. Her mother had her head so far up her arse that she didn't even notice. If DH hadn't have shouted me to move I would have gone flying.

[bloodyteenagers]

I think it's the prolonged crying. You know adults sitting doing nothing whilst their child
Screams the place down for 20 minutes at least. That's annoying. Round here there's usually a table of adults and a couple of kids. One of them could take the screamer out but no. Lets just sit.

I did laugh at the airport. Might have even been the same family of lolly gaggers. Queue building whilst they fart arsed around trying to convince the child to move. Security got pissed off and told people to walk around them, much grumbling from the man. Security wasn't having any of it, told him straight I am not going to listen to complaints from the people behind you when hey miss their flights because
You cannot pick up your child. Your choice to miss your plane.

Thankfully our supermarket have banned scooters again. They did lift the ban but this seemed to give a green card to idiots allowing their kids to whizz around the place.

[Notso]

I find people fannying round on phones and not paying attention more annoying.
The same in cafes people taking business calls bellowing Dom Joly style down their mobiles and hogging the tables with their laptops more disruptive than a whinging kid.

[PeterRabbitPie]

It's not so much toddlers toddling that I mind, it's the parents not holding their hands or having them on reins.

My sil does this, and I've noticed a few friends do it too. The child (under age of 4) will be trailing six foot behind them as the parent marches along with bags of shopping, or pushing the empty buggy. Maybe I'm over reacting, but I think it's incredibly dangerous. I've seen the children in question wander right over to the kerb to nosy down drains etc, with cars whooshing past a few feet from their heads. A child in our area was killed last year in similar circumstances, though he was a bit older, seven I think. He was running ahead of his mum when he tripped and went into the road.

I honestly think some parents don't feel they can physically lift their child and move them. I've watched sil watch my nephew as he goes to do something dangerous, and she'll get worried and call over to him not to do that, but she'll sit and sit and sit rather than get up and just move him. It is really very odd.

[colabucks]

I work part-time in a cafe and there's nothing more annoying than when parents let their tiny children wander around the seating area! Me and my colleagues will be carrying all sorts of things that could really injure an adult let alone a little one! Yet if they get in the way, most parents just simper at me....

Theres one family in particular, who are lovely, but they come in the evening, and after they've finished eating they allow their tiny little girl, can't be any older than 2, wander around and get under my feet. At this time of day I'm doing my cleaning jobs and they involve either chemical detergent or hot water, and whilst her father follows her around, it still makes me nervous as accidents can happen and I'd be the one getting the blame if I scalded their child from her bumping into me! Yet the dad just watches her do her thing whilst watching me carry around hot steaming water. So frustrating!! And cos I'm a young person in a crappy job I feel like I can't say anything as it would sound like I'm telling off an older adult or like I'm judging their parenting when I'm clearly not a parent myself... The joys of student jobs!!

sorry for the essay, needed a rant. Nothing wrong with toddlers toddling unless it compromises their health and safety.

[honeyroar]

I don't mind toddlers toddling if the parents keep an eye and notice when they're in the way or even in danger. Today I was queueing in a city centre bank. A lady at the cashier desk was paying in money unaware that her toddler was wandering off and getting further and further across the large room. Eventually the toddler reached the automatic doors, after walking past two security guards, and they opened. Thankfully myself and the man in front of me were watching, and he asked me to save his place while he ran over and grabbed the toddler. The mother was oblivious that her child was about to walk out onto a street with busy traffic. She finally finished her transaction, turned round, and started to panic that she couldn't see her child, just as the man brought him over. I was quite shocked.

[Potnoodlewilld0]

I ploughed in to a small toddler with my shopping trolley, I also had dd in her car seat on top so had no chance of seeing her. Her mother was well pissed off.

She was lucky I said 'sorry' and made all the right noises rather than 'get her in a fucking trolly'

YANBU

[passmethewineplease]

Bit of both.

There are some environments that aren't safe for them to toddling. On the whole however I don't have an issue with it, not someone else's fault you're in a rush.

[angelikacpickles]

I have noticed that people seem to walk straight at small children as if they expect them to somehow vaporise on contact (and I don't mean toddlers roaming about, I mean even when holding an adult hand and moving in a roughly straight line).

[Clankboing]

There definitely needs to be a balance. Children need to walk. But they also need to hold their parent's hand or go into a buggy at certain times. When this happens, the child may of course not like this. But it's tough really. My 4th son was very strong willed. He wanted to walk everywhere. But he could have floored the old / disabled up our high street with his manic racing about. So he often made a scene when I plonked him in the buggy. (Goodness knows how many times I explained his dangerous running. Now he's 8 he is ok lol). But goodness I do really think that some people cannot bear the conflict with their child. They seem to find it so hard to say 'no' to them. (Rant over).

[Pointynosee]

Several times toddlers have smashed into my shopping basket face on while at the supermarket. Then the howl and scream the whole place down. People need to keep a closer eye on their kids. It's not my fault they came running round the corner and smashed their faces in my basket.

I just shrug my shoulders and walk off

[missbishi]

I know children need to learn about shopping and cash handling but FFS, midday at a Tesco Metro when everyone queuing behind you is on their lunch hour is neither the time nor the place.

[53rdAndBird]

I ploughed in to a small toddler with my shopping trolley, I also had dd in her car seat on top so had no chance of seeing her. Her mother was well pissed off.

She was lucky I said 'sorry' and made all the right noises rather than 'get her in a fucking trolly'

If you can't see where you're going with the car seat in a trolley, to the point where you risk knocking over small children, maybe don't put your baby in a car seat in the trolley in the first place? They're not actually designed for it, even though lots of people do it - there's a risk of the whole thing tipping over. That's what the trolleys with built-in baby seats are for.

[TitaniasCloset]

Coffee shop poster, colabucks I had an acquaintance once who used to let her brood run riot in coffee shops, one of the staff finally told her off, but because her husband knew the manager the staff member was sacked. She thought it was funny.

So you are wise to say nothing.

[Ab1000]

Careful missbishi you'll have the tolerance and self importance police after you

[goldielookingchain]

Yabu.

I get it time and place but I've had enough of my toddlers screaming and tantruming at home for 14 hours a day, so if I manage 30 mins of piece letting them toddle on way to school, or wondering around a docs surgery, or a shop then I will. And oh the bloody inconvenience of having to walk past them? Get something proper to worry about.

[Arborea]

53rdandbird If you can't see where you're going with the car seat in a trolley, to the point where you risk knocking over small children, maybe don't put your baby in a car seat in the trolley in the first place? They're not actually designed for it, even though lots of people do it - there's a risk of the whole thing tipping over. That's what the trolleys with built-in baby seats are for.

I think the PP was referring to the trolleys which have a cage on the top to strap the car seat in (ie for the really tiny babies

[DesignedForLife]

Children need to walk. But they also need to hold their parent's hand or go into a buggy at certain time

You're very welcome to come and try to get my DD (2) into pushchair. I'm not strong enough. But then I'm now actively avoiding crowded places. Leaving me pretty lonely and miserable, but who cares, I don't annoy some self-important people who can cope with seeing kids be kids. Ho hum.

[SalemSaberhagen]

pointy you just shrug your shoulders and walk off? Not even any sympathy extended towards the child? Well aren't you a delight.

[Lorelei76]

DailyFail where's the heart attack emoticon?mpoor you and well done. I had to stop a toddler running into a busy road and I swear I got more grey hair, at least the parents were very apologetic though it didn't stop me being freaked out.

Op I get that a lot of people seem incapable of getting out of the way or generally being efficient in busy places but you sound a tad odd. Parents letting toddlers toddle in stupid places annoys me too but people can chat in a supermarket as long as they get out of the way? Perhaps you phrased that wrongly and it's not the chatting that bugs you.

I go to the supermarket as late as I can because I don't deal well with faffers. I think scooters should be banned in shops as well. Then again, some people should be banned from using them full stop, in central London they think they own the pavement. I'm just waiting for a deadly collision with an oblivious wandering texter....I'm amazed I leave the flat at all really!

[Yamadori]

Toddlers need to learn to walk, but they also need to learn that they can't just do whatever they please, whenever they want to.

They shouldn't be allowed to just run amok - and inconvenience and annoy everybody else in the process.