MIL wants to sell my baby

[TheExtraPickle]

Apologies for clickbaity title. But now I have your attention...

I'm a paramedic. Several times in the last couple of months I have heard a parent say to their child some variation of "Behave or that ambulance lady will be cross/tell you off/take you away".

Don't. Do. That.

Don't make your child afraid of us.

Don't make them so afraid that when I try to examine their broken arm they scream and squirm and do more damage.

Don't make them afraid to call 999 and ask for help.

Don't make them afraid to approach us if they are lost in public.

Don't make them too afraid to open the front door when you've fallen down the stairs and are unconscious.

I've also heard "the police will come and arrest you if you don't stop". Also not a good message.

Teach your children that the emergency services are here to help and are friendly and trustworthy. You never know when you might need us. Don't use me to discipline or calm your child because the first thing I will do is turn around with a big smile and tell that child it isn't the case.

This has been a public service announcement from TheExtraPickle. (Who's MIL is lovely and in no way involved in child trading)

[Beeziekn33ze]

Stupid empty threats from adults who ought to know better!
Only the other day I heard 'If you don't stop I'll tell a policeman' (from an older woman). I thought that died out years ago, obviously not.
My dentist didn't like 'He's not going to hurt you' as that brings the idea of pain into the child's mind.
Swissgemma, I love your attitude, and your 'little menace'!

[KitKat1985]

Excellent post OP (although I'm slightly disappointed by the lack of child selling by your MIL). I'd also like to echo SalamiSandwich's point about not describing nurses / doctors to your kids as 'nasty'. My GP practice nurse is lovely and she runs the childhood vaccination programme. After taking DD1 once for her 13 month jabs I was trying to soothe her and saying 'oh I know it's not nice but the nice nurse just doesn't want you to get poorly'. The nurse said to me I was the first parent that day who had said 'nice nurse' to her child. Every other parent up to the point (and I reckon there must have been at least 10) had apparently said something like 'there, there, what did the nasty nurse do eh.. let Mummy and Daddy make it better'. She said on a personal level comments like that upset her, and it was fuelling a fear of doctors and nurses in the kids.

[TheHatOfDoom]

Again not as serious but...
When you see me don't tell your child to behave/hurry up/get out the way or "that lady in the wheelchair will run you over" or even worse "I'll let/tell her to run you over"

[ShutUpBaz]

YANBU. Parents shouldn't be telling their DC the very people that are trained to protect them and potentially save their lives are scary. Those people are morons.

My DC are nearly 7 and 9 and they wave at police officers, paramedics and fire officers. They get very excited when they get a wave back. Once two very nice officers flashed their blue lights for my son when he was about 3 and high-fived him out of their car window. He was so happy he nearly fell over!

[Gatehouse77]

Totally agree.

I also see red when other people say similar to children in the run up to Christmas about FC. Erm, it will be DH and I that decide, not you, if they get gifts. And we have never attributed behaviour to receiving gifts.

[Mummyoflittledragon]

My dd is massively afraid of anyone in a uniform or official position so doctor, dentist etc as well. It started off when she was little and she was afraid of all men but for no specific reason. I learnt she was ok with a man if he was a daddy so I'd tell her the person was a daddy. She's getting better with people in uniform aged 9 but has to see a private dentist because they give her more care and time. I've never ever say anything like that to her and if anyone said it, I'd go ballistic .

[NotAgainYoda]

By the way

Thank you so much for what you do. Thank you. You are amazing

[TheNewMrs]

YES YES YES!

Also hate hearing parents threaten their children with the police. My parents always told me that if I was ever lost or in danger, the police would always help me. I dread to think how many kids would be too afraid to ask for help now after they've been threatened for misbehaving.

[justforthisthread101]

Had occasion recently to have my daughter in an ambulance. Unpleasant experience made 1 million per cent better by the crew. Thank you for all that you do.

oh and MIL? Stop telling the DC 'don't do that or Mummy will tell me off

[OhGood]

We try to stop our DCs from flinging themselves on anyone wearing a hi-vis jacket - they assume anyone in hi-vis is a policeman. Slightly terrifying.

[WaxOnFeckOff]

Not the same but don't tell your kids that people working in the service area are ''just a waitress/ just a fast food worker'' so they don't have to say please or thank you. We're still people, we deserve people using their manners just the same as everyone else!

It's the same with adults and security guards at work - it's like they are invisible! My DDad was a security guard so I've always made the effort to say good morning etc to any of the guards at work. Funnily enough (and this wasn't the reason for doing it) I always seem to be able to get a parking space. Can't be doing with snobby people.

[KC11]

Damn. I thought I was actually in the running to buy the baby! What was she thinking for asking? JOKING btw.

[Gentlygrowingoldermale]

When our daughters were very young, I needed an emergency ambulance. At the time we lived at the end of a path that was too narrow for a car let alone an ambulance.

Mum sent the girls to the end of the path to ensure the medics knew where I was. We heard the ambulance then lots of giggling and laughing. The medics had put the girls on the empty trolley. They loved it, and happily waved their Dad off - I assume they thought I was going to have fun as well.

Lovely moment.

[Chilver]

Completely agree.

My mother is forever using me/ DH/ another adult as a threat that we will discipline my DC/ DN; drives me potty and I always pull her up on it!

[user1468353179]

No where near the same but when I worked in a shop, kids would climb all over stuff and run riot The parents would then say "here's the lady, she'll tell you off" It's like people have no control of them anymore

[AlwaysDancing1234]

LegoCaltrops I love your superheroes idea.

I have several friends and family in the emergency services and they hear stupid comments like these directed at them all the time. I've always taught my kids that the emergency services are not scary people and are there to help, especially useful when DD broke her arm and had to go to hospital, she knew "doc and nurses are there to fix me" and it took away some of that fear.

[Carriecakes80]

My Dads a Paramedic, has been for over 40 years, (in fact, he' also going to play a Paramedic in Call the Midwife that he's been filming recently too!) my mums been a nurse for over 39 years, and the amount of kids that are petrified of a uniform is madness! When I was younger my dad used to come into my school and show kids round his Ambulance and the like, (I was so proud as my Pop was the youngest Paramedic in Buckinghamshire!) and the kids loved it, and thought he was great, but it seems to be more these days that some kids have a real open distrust of police, paramedics, nurses, and such. I'd like to say that all of you lot do an amazing job, I couldn't do it, and when you realise just how much you put up with, it makes me respect you all even more. x

[youarenotkiddingme]

That's a great message - great title too

I also have always encouraged ds to be friendly and communicative with emergency services.

I realised it had worked well when in the airport at 4am last month he walked straight up to the policeman carrying the machine gun and asked him how his day was going and if he'd been on nights and would get to go to be soon!

The man actually looked relieved that someone realised he was just a human doing a job - even if that job was walking around armed with a sniffer dog!

[Creatureofthenight]

Another librarian here who hates this. "Be quiet/Don't make a mess/etc or the library lady will tell you off". No I won't, I'm not the parent. Discipline your own child.

[Henrythehoover]

On a different note. My 6 yo was out in out communal gardens/communal path to all the flats when a pair of policeman came round there was a group of children out the back all in their white polonecks and black trousers. My nosey d's asked them who they were looking for and one of them said "we are looking for a boy with blonde hair, a white top and black trousers!" My son then became hysterical ran upstairs and put himself to bed. The police officer came to appologise as he was only joking but there was no getting him to come down. He now gets really worried when he sees any police walking around.

[TheExtraPickle]

I'm giggling at the kids automatically legging it from the police!

HatOfDoom what the fuckl!? That's terrible!!

[Sandsunsea]

Great post.
If my children are misbehaving I tell them that if they don't behave then I will tell them off, me, just me. It works. Those pass the buck parents are clueless.

[soupforbrains]

WOW.

I had no idea that anyone ever did this! I'm genuinely flabbergasted. My son and I have always said hello to the lovely helpful policemen/firemen/paramedics etc. we see round and about. I had no idea this was an issue at all but 100% agree with you and others here that it's awful. Why would anyone make their children afraid of the very people who will help them in situations where they may well be scared!

Also I just want to say a big thank-you to you extrapickle for the amazing work you do as a paramedic and also to the nurses and other emergency service staff who have comment here.

[Whinesalot]

Well I don't want my children to come near you if you are condoning selling babies.

[BeyondThePage]

"Don't touch that or the shop-lady will smack you"

OH NO I WON'T.... NOT EVER...