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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

To think waiting rooms are not playgrounds

380 replies

FairfaxAikman · 27/03/2018 10:36

Feeling like utter crap today and functioning on very little sleep as a result I hauled myself to a GP appointment this morning.
In the waiting room was a toddler who was LOUD!
They were running around the whole of the large waiting room pushing a large digger and shouting and squealing at the top of their voice.

I'm all for kids playing and enjoying themselves, but AIBU to think a Doctors waiting room, which is full of sick people, is not the time or place for it?

OP posts:
retirednow · 27/03/2018 10:37

no it's not, you are right, neither are hospital waiting rooms or hospital wards when kiddies run riot, upsetting everyone except their parents who think it's all very cute.

AddictiveCereal · 27/03/2018 10:40

Its not ideal for the other sick patients but I'd seriously have struggled to keep mine quiet in a waiting room for a long period of time at age 2. The alternative to them playing happily with a toy might be me trying to keep them still and them getting agitated and crying because they want to be moving about.

frogsoup · 27/03/2018 10:45

I can guarantee that the parent in question has no desire for their toddler to be there either. There may easily be a 90-minute wait for a hospital appointment. What would you like me to do with my toddler? Drug them or tie them up? There's only so many stories you can read a 2yo before they want to run around. The lack of tolerance towards small children on what is supposed to be a parenting site is frankly staggering.

YellowFlower201 · 27/03/2018 10:45

So what do you expect the mother to do? Do you think she was at the GP for a laugh?

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 27/03/2018 10:50

WHatever the mother does she’s screwed and judged...if she tries to tell the child to sit still they will kick off more and if she then tells them off some busy body will judge her for that, or worse still report her. Why don’t people just mind their business, we share a world with children who aren’t adults they are children!

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 27/03/2018 10:52

Of course it's not ideal. However with the best will in the world. How does anyone keep a toddler quiet. Yes you can read to them for so long, but They get restless
and like to explore dont they.
I do understand it's annoying though. Especially when youre not well

Coastalcommand · 27/03/2018 10:55

Last time I had a gp appointment we had to wait over an hour as the doctor was late getting in. It would be very hard to keep a toddler quiet for that long.

Gileswithachainsaw · 27/03/2018 10:55

Playing with a digger us not a problem

The parent could perhaps have tried to get them to quieten down.

No one takes kids to the Drs unless they have to. There is a degree of having to put up witg it along side parents at least trying to make sure they are not too noisy and under no circumstances should kids be allowed to wander round talking to people for obvious reasons

With babies it's obviously impossible

What could help is the waiting room being kept cool so they don't over heat and perhaps a microwave so parents can heat bottles and feed their children so tgetbarebt screaming cos they are running late.

retirednow · 27/03/2018 10:56

Our surgery has a children's play area for this very reason but I know that's not the case everywhere. On hospital wards I have seen the staff go off and find toys, books, pens and paper for children to play with, and offer to get drinks and food but maybe that's something parents should be doing. It is not very good for anyone seeing children licking the floor, runnung up and down and generally mucking about on a hospital ward when they are full of people wanting a rest.

JennyOnAPlate · 27/03/2018 10:57

You're right of course but it can be very hard to keep a toddler entertained in a waiting room. My GP is always running late (I've waited an hour past my appointment time before now) and I'm sure there were times my dc were annoying in the waiting room.

Gottagetmoving · 27/03/2018 10:57

YANBU The parent could occupy the child but you won't get much agreement from many on here because it seems to be the norm that kids take priority over everyone else and parents are too busy or stressed to think ahead or think about anyone else.
If you've ever seen GPs behind closed doors on tv you will often see the doctor struggling to deal with the patient because their children are messing with the equipment in the consulting room without the parent doing or saying anything to their child.

BishopBrennansArse · 27/03/2018 10:58

YANBU but remembering what mine were like at the same age I have every sympathy with the mother too.

GreatDuckCookery6211 · 27/03/2018 11:00

Yanbu OP. It's not very nice when you're ill and there's babies and toddlers making a noise. I've been that mother with the child waiting to see the GP but I tried as much as possible to keep them quiet and didn't just sit there oblivious. It's just rude and unfair.

frogsoup · 27/03/2018 11:01

Gottagetmoving from your post I'm assuming you either had an unnaturally quiet toddler or that you never had to entertain them for upwards of 90 minutes in an empty waiting room!

roseblossom75 · 27/03/2018 11:03

Some surgeries have a separate playroom for toddlers and their parents to go in leaving the main waiting room noise free. They have a tele on with Cbeebies. I think it's a great idea.

PersianCatLady · 27/03/2018 11:05

There are two sorts of parents in situations like this, ones who allow their kids to run riot while they play on their phone and the majority who try their best to stop their kids annoying other people.

I do think that if your child is getting fed up waiting then you should be doing more to amuse them than ignoring them while they annoy other people.

Luckily as I said these type of parents are in the majority.

HoneyBadgerApparently · 27/03/2018 11:05

@FairfaxAikman do you actually have kids? What do you want the mother to do? If she'd made him sit still he would have screamed the place down, which would have been more annoying to you and distressing for the child. You were in a doctors waiting room for all you know the mother was much more sick than you! YABU, very selfish, the NHS is for everyone to use, including mothers and children.

Tringley · 27/03/2018 11:05

parents are too busy or stressed to think ahead or think about anyone else.

Odds are the parent was sick, seeing as s/he was at the GP and all.

Gottagetmoving · 27/03/2018 11:06

gorgeous
No,..I felt it was my responsibility to teach my children from a young age that there were times and places where they had to play quietly. It takes a lot of effort and of course it's not easy.

Bluntness100 · 27/03/2018 11:06

Clearly the kid shouldn't have been loud, but equally as you're feeling shit you may be over sensitive to it.

You don't know why the mother was there or why she allowed it to happen if it was as bad as you say.

When my daughter was about two she was quietly playing with the toys in the centre of the square waiting room, whilst about 30 people sat silently round the four walls waiting. She then let out the loudest fart you've ever heard. The place erupted in laughter. She looked at me and said "shall I do it again mummy", then proceeded to screw up her face as she attempted to squeeze another one out. So kids can brighten up a dull wait.☺️

Gottagetmoving · 27/03/2018 11:06

frogsoup.... not gorgeous.... 😒

PersianCatLady · 27/03/2018 11:08

One thing though.

I am quite often in the doctor's waiting room waiting for my weekly prescription but I am not ill.

If I see a bored child and I have spoken to their parent, I will often talk to the child about their toy or book.

I have always found that this makes my waiting time seem less and sometimes keeps a child amused for a few minutes.

Am I wrong in doing this??

Nikephorus · 27/03/2018 11:08

YANBU The parent could occupy the child but you won't get much agreement from many on here because it seems to be the norm that kids take priority over everyone else and parents are too busy or stressed to think ahead or think about anyone else.
This ^^ Apparently parenting is optional these days Hmm

PeonyTruffle · 27/03/2018 11:08

YANBU

I have a 3yr old and always make extra effort to keep him quiet and occupied in doctors waiting rooms.
It’s not fair to other people, when I’m ill, he drives me mad and he’s mine so I’m 110% sure that poorly strangers don’t want him making tons of noise

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 27/03/2018 11:10

Thing is though, no one can be Mrs Tumble 25 hours a day 8 days a week.