Pass remarkable sales assistant??

[BitchinBlack]

So I took 16month old DS for a pair of new shoes today to a local shop. The sales assistant seen fit to comment "what?? He's not walking yet? (With a shocked look on her face) He really should be at that age"
DS is sofa surfing and walking with support he just hasn't taken of independently yet. I am absolutely livid and I gave her a good dressing down, so was I unreasonable??

Agree that this thread is a bit bonkers... but... isn't it true that on MN people just cannot wait to say "you sound awful/hard work' to an OP?? Everyone piles in and eggs each other on, and it's all a bit undignified.

Posters often totally disregard the action that provoked the (perhaps wildly unreasonable) REaction and focus entirely on the OP's behaviour. Personally, I think it's very rude indeed to comment negatively on a child's development. And shoe fitters don't often have really in-depth medical knowledge. One sales person in Clarks put the right shoe on my daughter's left foot...

Just a different perspective.

YABU. If there aren't six steps by 18 months it needs to be checked out, as you no doubt know. Don't let a stranger's comment butt you back from doing the right thing by your son.

You are certainly speaking more rudely than she did OP.

The only undignified stuff happened in the shoe shop as far as I am concerned.

The owner of the shoe shop apologised for the manager of the shoe shop who served you. How did the owner get involved?

Many years ago (before pre walker shoes existed) I took Dd who was furniture cruising for her first shoes. Sales assistant said I should not buy shoes yet and putting shoes on too early could hinder walking development.

Did I kick off? No, I assumed she had training in these matters and thanked her for her advice and left it.

I've also never bought dh shoes in 25 years. Always assumed he needs to try shoes in himself to see if they fit.

OP is very rude funny.

poochsmooch Well, that would depend if the pagan is pass remarkable and performs at their pay grade or not 

Are pagans generally known for their pass remarkable ness? I can't quite get it into a sentence? Kudos to pp ^ who did.

arethereanyleftatall I know! I imagine they just have pound coins and notes, oh and £2 coins? Do they need the other bits? Can you spend an un pound amount in Poundland?

It sounds like she was crap at small talk and spoke without thinking - there were a hundred different ways you could have replied all of which would have been more respectful of her. But it's ok cos you give them chocolates at Christmas.

She probably will think twice before speaking - the first thought being "does she looks as batshit crazy as the chocolate giving woman whose husband can't buy his own shoes..."

OP, she (very obviously) did strike a nerve, because, as you well know, 16 months old is late to not be walking!!

Shop assistant was surprised, as most people would be/are!

totally understand that. don't take any notice of the haters here . I am sure your ds will be running you ragged around the house very soon .You really shouldn't take too much notice of the staff in shops either just be glad you don't have to do it for a living !
People aren't haters, they just don't agree woth other people berating others.
Op works in customer service,so she does do this job.
Plus, what exactly is wrong with working in this job?

I've never bought DH's shoes, I'm not even sure what size he is and surely he'd need to try them on?

All very peculiar!

What's weirder? Tipping the shoe shop or buying your husbands shoes? I can't decide. Possibly the tipping of the shoe shop.
OP, your LO will be walking soon, no need to worry or be sensitive about it. Like you said, being a preemie and having health problems will set a baby back. Please don't take it out on everyone who makes a passing remark, she didn't do it to be mean or pass judgement. This may the case for a while, with school, with talking, with learning, reading, you can't dress down everyone who comments. It's not like she shouted to the shop "hey everyone, this little one is 16mths and can't walk! Mother must be doing something wrong".
Don't be so rude about pay grades either, it totally paints you in a bad light.

Do you buy your dh's shoes as he can't get out for them as he's not walking yet? have you had him checked out?

Pass remarkable to be called a hater when calling out bad behaviour.

(Did I use it right?)

The sales assistant will hopefully think before she speaks the next time.
You said the shop manager served you and the shop owner apologised for her. Who decided to involve the manager?

Tufty- I shall investigate and go to Poundland soon and pay with a 50p,20p, 10p, 5p and some 2ps (and 1 x1p of course) and see if the shop assistant puts them in different places in the till. I'll revert with my findings.

I misread the OP and thought it said you gave her a dressing gown

I'm sure she would have appreciated that more than a dressing down, which is out of order and rather above your station
channeling more Blyton there

the only undignified stuff happened in the shop

Well, maybe. But the thing is, we don't know. As a pp has said, a 'good dressing down' could mean any number of combinations of words and gestures! But I guess for the purposes of this thread, it will only do to assume, en masse, that the OP is A Horrible Person, and the sales person was just doing her job, and any offence caused by her amateur child development advice must be put down to cheerful chit-chat and/or undisclosed medical qualifications.

There can be no middle way...

Pay grade?!! Tipping sales staff in a shoe shop, bringing wine and chocolate at Christmas? And you buy your husbands shoes?! Can he not buy his own? You sound like a nutter, they should bar you. The manager probably apologised because she's afraid you're a maniac who knows where she lives. You sound crazy

You WBU for taking your child to buy shoes before they can walk freely from one side of a room to another, with some flexion in the foot.

She WBU for even contemplating selling you some shoes in your circumstances. Her comment is the least of your concerns.

I have turned many a customer away because they are trying to put their kids in shoes too early.

I love this thread! It's been years since I have laughed out loud to a MN thread.

I think I've been pass remarkable about my own personality lately, so this has cheered me right up.

Well done OP, and thank you!

Well Merchant we only have OP's version of events of course, you would have to actually be there and have heard all the words and exact tone of voice from the pair of them to make a full evaluation.

As it is we have sketchy facts to go on and a load of unanswered questions.

We need Judge Rinder perhaps.

People do speak out of turn a lot and sadly a bit more thought wouldn't go amiss at times. My friend's child was v premature and we both get hacked off with thoughtless comments.

Children do develop in different ways but they do all get there at the end. Haven't read the whole post but I do think OP had a point and that it is not the place of a salesperson to make a comment of this nature. He/she was not a medical professional after all

lol just found it funny imaging you going into clarks and tipping the lady lol.

I would of just replied "kids develop at their own pace." I don't think theirs a need to give anyone a dressing down or insult their perfectly respectable career choices

*Pass remarkable to be called a hater when calling out bad behaviour.

(Did I use it right?)*

I think you have to refer to someone as being pass remarkable.

Eg, "That woman who spends her working life fitting wean's shoes is so pass remarkable!" or "MNers can be right pass remarkable sometimes".