I didn't like a 'tell-tale' when I was younger and I still don't

[LittleMonkeysWideAwake]

Those kids that tell on the teacher all the time, or tell you off in a high and mighty way. I didn't like them as a kid, and I don't like them as adults now!

This morning another parent at sons school told me off for my inappropriate parking. I was of course in the wrong! And said so, and apologised. But I'm fuming inside!!! I can't stand busy- bodies who go out of their way to tell me off!

Grrrrrr

Just a rant!

Are you one of those parents? (and we're you one of those kids?) and why do you do it?

Monkey 🐵 let this be a lesson to you, it appears 80% of those who have posted don't make mistakes. At no point have you said you were in the right for not parking properly and I think it was probably the way the person spoke to you that's pissed you off. There's a way to approach people and tell them they are wrong without being arsey.

it appears 80% of those who have posted don't make mistakes.

Knowingly and deliberately parking wrongly is not a “mistake”

I've never liked inconsiderate twats who park where they shouldn't for their own selfish convenience.

Why are you like that, OP?

Jamsandwhichandgrapes
Absolutely no need to worry. Schools encourage students to report bullying and rightly so, same if students are not keeping each other safe.

Telling tales are sitiations like this:
New diary of a wimpy kid/tom gates book comes out. Lots of students read them. We get 6 copies in the school library because we know they will be in demand. 2 children in my class love reading them. Child 1 gets to the library and manages to get a copy when they first go on the shelves. Child 2 thinks this is unfair so hunts me down at break to tell on child 1. Apparently it's very mean that other children in school managed to get copies of an in demand book. The tell tale expected me to remove a copy of the book from another child so they can have it.
A bit like the 'miss gives us a highlighter and you're a horrible person if you won't swap colours'.

There's a world of difference between rightly reporting bullying etc and telling tales (some on here seem to think disliking tattle taling means you never listen to children).

A teacher once told me not to ‘go home telling tales’ whilst jabbing me in the chest with her forefinger. I was four, and it was my first week of school. I have always hated the term - I agree that it is used by bullies.

I'm with you OP. I would never go around and deliberately shame someone for mildly inconsiderate parking although I might huff slightly under my breath. I also wouldn't report said car to the authorities. I would take a different view if I saw someone clearly drive recklessly around children or park across someone's drive as that is either clearly dangerous or very unkind behaviour. I also always report any domestic violence issues or safeguarding of any kind issues immediately; however, I wouldn't report someone who is claiming benefits and working for a bit of extra cash especially if they have children. I can't tell you the reason that I would report some "bad" things and not others perhaps it is based upon the idea that I might try to squeeze a bit of extra cash if I was that poor but, no matter what the deal, I'd never abuse anyone. I discourage my children from telling tales e.g. Johnny said "bum" as mentioned above although encourage them to confide in an adult if a dangerous situation e.g. bullying is going on. I think there is a line there and everyone's moral conscience guides them differently on it. Personally I try really hard not to park inappropriately in a way that might stop a young mu or a disabled person from passing. I don' use disabled toilets or changing areas in case anyone else needs them. I try to consider others in how I behave generally (don't let my kids be noisy etc) but equally I don't try to judge and remind people of what they have done wrong unless I need to (e.g. because someone vulnerable is being affected) and I don't generally like or respect people that do.

I’m with you OP, I can’t stand tell tales! We seem to be in the minority! Children seem unable to resolve their own disputes these days. I understand that serious issues need to be reported and addressed, but I’ve actually had a parent complain an to me that my daughter wouldn’t share her pencil in class!

The guy wasn't telling tales though. He was pointing out she was parked somewhere that she shouldn't have been, which incidentally we still don't know exactly where that was as the OP has missed that piece of the puzzle out

Agreed greatduck
If the OP was parking inconsiderately or dangerously then it's not telling tales.

Are you one of those parents? (and we're you one of those kids?) and why do you do it?
OP, they're telling you why they do it. You call them busy-bodies, but you seem to be the sort of person who expects to get away with being entitled.

At school - Tattle tale is someone who tells on someone else because they are breaking the school rules but where the breaking of the rules is not putting themselves or anyone else in danger or doing any direct harm to anyone. In that case it is best for the child not to say anything to the other child or to a teacher.

Its this BS that allows children to be bullied, its no different from 'snitches get stitches', just another way of allowing bullies and fuckwits to get away with shit behaviour towards other people

At least if they don't want to come across as a pompous know it all anyway

Just more name calling that allows people to get away with shit.

You ask "why tell me off". You should know by this time in your life, that other people's mistakes or rule breaking makes us feel righteous, and better, that's why they do it. Forget it! ...but don't do it again!!! If I could work the smileys list out I would have put a wink smiley here.

Do you know I am just reading all this and thinking to myself, why am I so sad that I am engaging with this...there has to be something else I should be doing. If this is what I have come down to then I had better sort myself out.

We don't know how the OP was parked, so it's hard to judge. We also don't know why the man complained - he might be fed up of all the people who regularly park inconsiderately and/or dangerously, didn't know the OP tends not to do this, and decided he'd had enough and 'these people' needed telling. I still wouldn't call it 'tale telling' though, as he was telling the OP herself that she was doing something wrong. Pompous, maybe, self-righteous, maybe, but not telling tales. If I were the OP, I'd feel indignant, because I would hate being told off, and guilty, as I already knew I was in the wrong.

I agree with op it's the fact the woman went out of her way to let her know about her parking. myself included and most people who aren't saddos would just quietly mutter to ourselves about someone's parking and get on with our day.. imagine actually going up to someone! 😂😂😂 find a hobby girls. You all sound bat shit crazy when u scroll down this feed. Mental . 🤷‍♀️🙈

At my son's school people get very cross and worked up on the school run and parking issues, when they are just trying to get their kid to school, fair enough if you were endangering lives, but not really fair in my view if you weren't being a downright pain in the posterior. I think the mothers and fathers on my school run forget about everyone else sometimes and I've seen cars going up and down a hill and refuse to let the other one go past, and screaming abuse at the other drivers (1 of whom is a neighbour across the street), parents shouting at each other , shouting at my mum (I don't drive and she helped me for a few years) and I just think "omg just take a chill pill already it's junior school not drama school or a Shakespeare tragedy, it's kids going to school GET A GRIP people!"
Rant over: nb: no parents were harmed in the making of this post.

Ps I really hope I don't end up in the dm*!

I am one of those people. In regards to parking, we walk to school and we have cars blocking crossing areas, on double lines blocking cars, been backed into by a car that decided to suddenly reverse and it goes on. This happen everyday and usually by the same people. See it from their side. They deal with people parking badly everyday. Saying that, I do not go after cars that are not on my path. Just those that are blocking us. I also have a strong belief that if we keep silent about things that are wrong, then what would I do if something really untoward happens? I hate that people keep bullying quiet and private with the school. Or that someone is harassing people. Bring it out and let justice happen.

I used to work in a school, and there was only one thing I disliked more than children telling trivial tales (obviously I would want to be told if someone was getting beaten up or similar), and that was children who thought telling tales was the same thing as telling lies. So if you said, "Stop telling tales," they'd say, "But I'm NOT telling tales! Jimmy HAS got a toy in his pocket!" I used to tell them that by telling tales I meant telling adults about things other children were doing that weren't very important. I would always stress that if someone was being hurt, or property was being damaged, then it was perfectly OK to tell.

I don't see how the OP's situation of having been directly told about her own mistake comes under the same heading as telling tales to a third party. They're both annoying, but they're different things.

It's perhaps telling that even after being asked several times, OP won't say how she was parked.

It wasn't inconvenient, or dangerous, or blocking anyone - yet it was still not allowed.

It's more likely, IMO, that it actually was inconvenient, or even dangerous than that some random man felt the need to trek "all the way over" just to tell her not to park there.

Some children are far too honest! Mil has mentioned a couple of embarrassing incidents.

"Where is your mummy?" Plucking her wiskers!

After recently purchasing a property, debt collectors arrived at the door for previous occupants and wanted to know if she had a forwarding address/knew their whereabouts. Mil said no sorry but DC piped up behind her and said you liar mummy you do!

Some people/children just see right and wrong.

Sorry, I ment whiskers!

Gosh, I know how to spell! Honestly (meant)!

Wow, school staff seem to be unbelievably irresponsible (in my opinion). madame you encouraged children not to tell tales. You told them that by telling tales I meant telling adults about things other children were doing that "weren't very important". You stressed that if someone was being hurt or property damaged, then it was ok. How on earth do you expect a child to know whether something is important enough to report? Why were you putting the responsibility on the children to decide? What if something was missed because a child decided not to tell? The more I see from (some of the) school staff on mn, the more gobsmacked I am!!

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this... but I encourage my children to stand up for what is right. You call them know-it- all's, tell-tales; I call them whistle blowers. They will be the ones standing up to bullies. Yes, YABU. We ought to be proud of these kids who have the strength and conviction to stand up for what is right.