To be frustrated at some of the older generation

[Washpot]

This happened a few days ago but things keep sparking it back up again in my mind.

After a hectic morning dropping my dh at work (due to his car being in for an MOT) then doing the school run, then getting to a doctors appointment all by 9:30 am and a total of around 20 miles drive, an older man (80+) stopped me and complained that I should be walking and not taking up a parking space at the surgery and continued to rant about my generation and laziness. Half way through his rant, I stopped him and explained my morning to him (quite abruptly - perhaps I shouldn't have) then got in the car and drove off. Since then I've noticed comments about mothers not walking children to school and on local FB pages people commenting on the parking situation at the local school (which actually is a problem) but again blaming lazy parents. Looking at the comments, they're all from people who appear to be retired.

Can some older people not just understand that life is different now and pressures are different. I hate feeling judged and thought of as lazy but there's no way I could walk my DD to school every day (we do some days but it's a 4 Mile round trip)

I know not all older people think like this and I'm by no means ageist but there are a handful who seem to think we need to live like they did. Im not saying things are harder either, just different and perhaps it wouldn't hurt for them to have a little understanding.

People are nosy and judgemental. I agree that some people think women who aren't at work 8-5 mon-fri are lazy/women of leisure!

It seems the older gentleman in the op judged the OP which was indeed unreasonable. But no more so that her sweeping statement that older people don't understand today's pressures etc.

Some people are unreasonable. Don't make it about age or any other demographic. That IS unreasonable.

I always wonder who all these old people are that seem to be waiting in supermarkets, surgeries, post-offices and apparently sometimes on random street corners waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting 20 to 30-something mother to unleash a diatribe about all that is wrong with modern day society confused.

And Mumsnetters do seem to encounter them with shocking regularity. I think MN should have a separate topic just for them. Maybe "I once had a negative encounter with an OAP so let's now generalize to an entire generation." Then I could just hide it the way I have hidden Baby Names and Christmas.

I've found agreeing with people then slipping your point in is hilarious and works a treat, so in that case I'd have said "Oh, it would be so lovely to be able to walk in on a gorgeous day like this. Unfortunately I've just had to do X, Y and Z and dd's tiny legs can't get far and we live so far away because of house prices (or whatever!), isn't it a shame! You live close by then? You're so lucky, wish we all could!"

Embarrasses anyone out for a fight and appeases anyone genuinely concerned or unaware of how it really is these days.

I'm with you SenecaFalls.

I always feel quite aggrieved that I've never had an altercation with anyone about what I am doing when I go about my daily life. Even when I parked in disabled spaces before getting my blue badge

People saying I've made sweeping generalisations haven't read my post. The word 'some' was used. But hey- hi it's the way Mumsnet goes.

Those making snide remarks about the frequency of these encounters, what exactly is your point? It sounds like you're implying they're exaggerated/don't happen?

OP, there may be a "handful" of all sorts of people who feel you should have walked, but the fact that you singled out this man's age is indicative of your attitude to older people. We don't know his colour or sexual orientation, or whether he looked financially well off or not, or if he'd polished his shoes that morning - his age is about as relevant.

Fuzzy, his age IS relevant because he specifically spoke about the laziness of MY GENERATION and about how his generation would never behave how we do. He was actually the one brining age into it so it really is relevant.

This isn't because he is old, it's because he is a wanker.

I have blue badges but don't look ill and can walk, albeit in a lot of pain. It's always old people who give abuse of my using a disable parking place or double yellows.

If you are encountering Elderly people in/around the GP, I think some awareness of illness effecting personality in the Elderly, is needed. I used to know when my Mum's thyroid levels were wrong, because of how nasty she went. When i worked in a Care Home, it was a change in personality that indicated that something was wrong (usually a UTI).

When anything is on the News, such as the Blue Badge system being extended for Neurological conditions, It's always 20+ Young Men who are having a rant against it. Likewise, they rant against any predominately female issues, because they know everything about everything, especially how easy it is to bring up children.

I've seen a lot of ranting by 16-25 years old against Tommy Robinson's arrest. If we put 18-25 years old Young Men in charge, we be fucked.

But I wouldn't allow myself to get frustrated by them.

mummymeister, at least they aren't telling you that Vaccinations are a waste of time, like the younger anti-vaxers would.

One thing about the Elderly, in the UK, they know that we need modern medicine because death was all around them before the NHS.

Agree with you, SenecaFalls.

So Dot... Are you implying that this didn't happen or is exaggerated?
if you read my following up posts you would see another incident where an older gentleman saw it fitting to say my 18 month old was talking rubbish because he said woof at a dog and then tell me that kids these days aren't taught to speak properly. I could go on and describe other incidents.

It does happen and just because you haven't experienced it doesn't mean it doesn't happen.