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)

[OrSoItSeemsThatWay]

Some parents are idiots. Discipline your own kids, FGS.

I had to call you / your colleagues out the other week. Thank you for what you do so cheerfully and patiently. You are stars!

[TheLittleShirt]

Your MIL is selling your baby on eBay, that is outrageous........ She will make a lot more money on Amazon. Some parents have no common sense , to be threatening their children with the people who they should be encouraged to go to in times of danger etc.

[TheDevilMadeMeDoIt]

It's not just people in uniform/authority. I must have a particularly bad case of resting bitch face because I've had a couple of times where a mother has said to their child 'if you don't stop....whatever, that lady will be cross with you/tell you off'.

The first time I was taken aback and moved away fast. The second time I'd had chance to think about it and said to the mother that I didn't like it and she shouldn't use me to discipline her child. She looked at me like I had two heads, but this time she was the one who moved away. Result.

But I don't know if you're allowed to do that if you're in uniform.

And tell your MiL to hold off selling the baby until nearer Christmas. Some parent will pay a fortune to give their child 'the best Christmas present ever'.

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

Lol i have to admit that my son was a bit upset to turn and find a police man behind him in the shop last week.
I laughed at the reaction of my six year old and told him that he was a nice man that was keeping us safe.

[NotAgainYoda]

OrSoitSemms

3 idiotic ways of parenting:

1. Hitting your child
   
2. Threatening to hit your child
   
3. Threatening to hit your child and never doing it
   
4. Threatening that someone else will hit your child

[NotAgainYoda]

4, even

[TheExtraPickle]

whinesalot I'm still on the fence about my baby.

[karategirl]

Great post! I'd like to add, don't threaten people with "I'll call social services on you". Social services are there to help people, and their job of protecting the vulnerable is made so much harder when they're seen as the bad guys.

[Lucyccfc]

My neighbours phoned the police to deal with their son who refused to come in for his 10pm curfew (they made out that he had gone missing). Since then, they regularly threaten him with the police and his young sister is petrified about the police.

Shite parenting at its very best.

[BoysofMelody]

Worst I've had was on a train when a some children opposite were playing up. The woman who was opposite who due to ghee age I assumed was the kids' grandmother proclaimed 'if' you don't behave, the man over there (, pointing at me) will come over and hit you hard.'

I've never hit anyone in my life and I'm not likely to start on primary school kids. I was in my early 20s so wasn't confident enough to say anything, but nearly 20 years later I'd have given the woman a piece of my mind.

[Schmoopy]

Can I also add, don't deal with your child's bad behaviour at breakfast time by dragging them to school telling them that you're going to tell the teacher and let her deal with them.

I am not going to discipline or even mention the breakfast table incident when you have finished your rant and gone on your merry way feeling like you've dealt with it because you've handed it over to me, so don't bother.

a) It's not my job to correct your early morning parenting fails

and

b) I'm not your child's enemy.

[Cupcake5678]

I'm with you on this. As a foster career we encounter this in a similar way. Sometimes adults don't think what message they are sending little ones. Please remember police, teachers, nursers etc are the helpers in a society where we need them more than ever.

[SpareChangeDownTheSofa]

WaxonFeckOff Its ridiculous isn't it? I've been at work and this has happened:

Kid: I want that.
Grandparent: Say please.
Mum of kid: No, you don't have to say please, its only a KFC.

Yeah, don't worry, you don't have to use your manners to the low like me.

[donquixotedelamancha]

It's not just people in uniform/authority. I must have a particularly bad case of resting bitch face because I've had a couple of times where a mother has said to their child 'if you don't stop....whatever, that lady will be cross with you/tell you off'.

Yeah, I've had that too. It's a horrible, weird and ineffective way to parent.

[HerRoyalChocolateBunny]

I agree with everyone.

OP... can I Just say.... in the past 2 years we have had to call the paramedics 7-8 times.....DFIL fell down the stairs (and subsequently died); DS had an asthma attack, x 2; MIL got tipsy and her blood pressure crashed etc etc etc.

Without fail every single paramedic, was calm,professional reassuring, a little joke to relax us etc. I feel emotional just thinking about it.

I'm still going to tell social services if you ebay your baby though.

;)

[WineGummyBear]

Great post OP.

Great thread everyone.

Like lots of PP our kids are raised to be friendly and interested in the people who help us from: nurses, binmen and waitresses. As above they know if they get lost to approach a person who is doing their job (eg shop assistant or paramedic)

We salute you all

[Gertiegoolash]

Hate when parents do this, was out with my friend the other day and a mother and child were walking toward us, the kid was obviously playing up and as they walked past the mum said to him "if you don't stop these ladies will take you away" gesturing to me and my friend. We looked at each other like Wtf?!? Seriously why say that?! Made us both feel really uncomfortable

[WaxOnFeckOff]

I'm sorry that's happened Spare. I've no idea where that attitude comes from. It's certainly not one that we have in our family. We were always taught that good manners cost nothing and I've conferred the same to my DSs. People shouldn't be made to feel they are invisible. There have been loads of occasions where my DSs good manners have elicited some advantage for them too. One I recall was when they wanted to buy some Skylanders and the shop was all sold out. DS2 who was about 7 at the time asked the person in the shop if they had any that maybe hadn't been put on the shelves. The staff member said "aww sorry pal, we won't have any in until next week" DS2 said "oh, okay, thank you for your help" as he walked away the staff member called him back and handed him a magic coin thing for skylanders that he had in his pocket. DSs were over the moon and still talk about it 10 years later! :)

[BoreOfWhabylon]

I hear you OP.

Nurse here. It's a looong time since I worked with chipdren but it used to be quite common to hear "If you don't do/stop doing that the nurse will come and stick a big needle in you"!

[BoreOfWhabylon]

Children. I have never worked with chipdren.

[ReanimatedSGB]

Totally agree that it's bad to tell DC that some random stranger/person in uniform will punish them and that medics etc are helpers, not enemies.
But (and sorry to bring a real downer to the thread) some parents, certainly in the US, actually need to tell their DC to be careful with police officers. Not as in 'don't be naughty or the police will take you away' so much as 'don't display anything but abject submission if a police officer approaches you. Or you could get shot.'

[Wellyboots86]

I always used to say to the child in question "no I won't. You're not my son/daughter but it would be really nice if you listened to Mummy/daddy" whenever I had some parent say "the man will tell you off"

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Not long after the incident involving Madelaine McCann I saw two separate parent/child The man will take you away (Security guard) or If you don't keep up someone will take you
Way to go
I'm sure these children watched TV .

[timeisnotaline]

Great topic!