To think a lot of parents of very young children become quite selfish

[allthewaythere]

I am expecting to be flamed but here goes.

Yesterday I was walking on a really narrow street and a couple were walking with a very young baby who’s only just started to take a few hesitant steps, maybe 11 months, so he had dad on one side and mum on the other.

Because the street was so narrow it meant everyone behind them either had to walk at toddler pace or step into the road to get by.

I’ve seen this in a lot of my friends with really young children. Is this a thing and does it pass?

Well of course you don't accept it. That doesn't mean it's not true. But as you said let's move on.

Presumably they were, as she was sure that the massive, huge crowd was caused by parents toddling along slowly with baby. If she couldn’t see then it could have been caused by something else - baby falling over, someone with large pram coming the other way, unexpected obstacle on pavement. But she’s confident about what was happening to cause the obstruction so must presumably have been able to tell.

God only knows where she lives that large crowds can form without a single person saying ‘excuse me’. Maybe everyone is very patient there. Or maybe everyone prefers to just seethe in silence.

maybe everyone prefers to just seethe in silence
Surrey?

That’ll be it.

Haha i prefer the new name i just invented. Rockin' down the Cromwell Road just politely overtaking without drama . On my way to a museum, maybe. Lots of crowds and kids there. No bother.

It should all be common sense and courtesy but both (likely as a result of each other) have taken a steep decline

Parents should;

• Vet whether a situation is appropriate and safe for their child’s stage. Wobbly toddlers in busy crowds or traffic? no - strap them into the pushchair. Ofc they have a ‘right’ to walk, but other adults have a ‘right’ to walk around looking at head height - so your child may well get knocked over and that’s your lack of safeguarding!
• Be considerate- I refer to my earlier point about double buggies. If you choose a giant side by side tank - you’re choosing to be an a** and deserve a few dirty looks! A certain level of inconvenience will always surround babies in public, but that’s fine, it’s a part of life, as long as parents don’t go out of their way to make it more awkward and difficult that needed!

Adults should;

• Understand that if they want the wobbly toddler strapped into a pushchair so they can go about their business un hindered, the child might well scream in frustration (because they wanted to walk!) - So you can have a screaming toddler or you can wait in a queue behind one happily walking - your choice??? What you can’t do is roll your eyes at the parent and blame them for the child screaming because they put them in the pushchair to get them out of your way! That would make you an a** who deserves to queue behind a dawdling toddler!
• Accept that children are a part of life and we don’t live in a chitty bloody bang bang society with child catchers rounding them all up! They are people too, they have the same rights as you, only you’re much older and therefore should have learnt the compassion and social skills to deal with them and be kind. If you do not want to be around children, or politely step to one side to let a pram pass, go to over 18 events! Not shopping on a Saturday 👍🏻

They weren't simultaneous. At one point she was behind a crowd of people wondering what the hold up was. Then she moved out onto the road to get past the crowd and when she had done so was able to see a couple with a very small child toddling between them and a load of people caught behind them.

was able to see a couple with a very small child toddling between them

But as you have so clearly explained, this was after she was stuck for a long long time behind a huuuuge crowd, and therefore perhaps this was not what was happening at the point her viewpoint was so terribly obstructed. Maybe the child had fallen over. Maybe something else was obstructing the masses of people.

Still unclear why you’d hit a huge crowd holding you up and not attempt to excuse your way through if in a hurry, but different strokes for different folks I suppose. She should maybe spend a while living in Edinburgh and trying to get anywhere in August - that’ll develop your assertiveness and your elbows!

As so often on mn you get a few people who are utterly and bafflingly convinced good manners should only go one way - but they can never articulate why - they just get stroppy about it.

Tough really, isn't it. A mild annoyance for you is probably a great memory for them with their child. I remember the first time mine went on foot and it was a snails pace with lots of wobbling and swerving. If they annoyed anyone I can't say I really care

This, along with a number of other posts demonstrate perfectly that indeed some parents are selfish and thin their child is more important than anyone else. All I can say is karma.

a load of people caught behind them

In like a net? 🤷🏻‍♀️😂

So the OP should equally be irritated with the people ahead who didn't say 'erm excuse me'. Maybe they also wanted to walk slowly but I guess that's okay if they are adults.

People are annoying, that's life.

A mild annoyance for you is probably a great memory for them with their child.

Seriously? Walking along a narrow pavement? #makingmemories

C @Leighhalfpennysthigh
I couldn't agree with you more.

What if this, what if that, instead of just accepting that sometimes we need to be aware of our surroundings and not just put our and our children's wants first and foremost.

You sound like an absolute misery. It’s about as “selfish” as cyclists holding up traffic. That is to say, not at all, you have no god given right to walk at your chosen speed. You are the one being selfish demanding other people stop using the pavement

@WorldsOnFire

Totally off-topic, but are you a fan of The Progidy or Sarah McLachlan?

Ring the police and report them. I'm sure they will explain to you the parents were doing nothing wrong.

MN sure does love to nit pick!! My goodness! Why not show a bit of curiosity to each other. Why couldnt mum or dad stand in a bit? Why did mum and dad feel it ok to let someone walk out onto the road? A child is a child. It will learn AND will have time to do so. One second of kindness will not stop that. If said child got upset then calm child down whether it takes 30mins. They also need to learn emotions..

You're not gona let a child walk out in front of a car because they're learning to walk or just walk into people, bins or anything in that matter!! You teach your child to be aware of there surroundings.

Again, it's people's entitlement and ignorance! I highly doubt this person was trying to stop the child from developing. I do believe she was trying to get past without having to rush or cause danger to the child.

@bluebella4 I don’t think anyone on this thread is thinking the parents were being sensible in walking their kid along a narrow road. What some of us are baffled about is why the OP didn’t tell them to hurry up/move/explain they were causing a jam and instead quietly seethe , then vent on here!

It's kind of all pointless anyway. The op can feel pissed off over the toddler slowing her and her kids down all she likes. She's not right though. She's just moaning for herself. Plenty of people just get on with their day. She feels that baby should of been carried or in a pushchair. If a huge crowd had built up then it's obviously a busy narrow path that many use. Which would suggest the rude parents were heading somewhere in that direction and had no other route option. Not that you can expect people to consider their route based on others.

Yeah they should of moved in many ways. But this sounds like a very busy path so maybe they'd of been moving all day if it's a constant busy street.

There is never going to be perfect world where everyone can be happy. Id spend more time being annoyed over dangerous drivers, robbers, attackers and teenagers saying fuck you on the school run to eachother. It's really hard to throw such a judgemental comment based on the op claim. She was in a rush. Behind lots of people. People being more patient than her? Do she slipped past In the road and got ahead. Doesnt matter. Babies will always exist. Also proud parents still in the baby stage are allowed to be happy. Before the tantrums, teenage years and the rest drags them down a little more. There seems alot of people thinking anything that's inconvenient for them is out of order. It isn't though. We can't read everyones minds. There are alot worse ways of causing a problem.

Just popped back on here and find it hilarious how pissed off you're all getting. Calm down yeah, it's New Year's Day!

This thread is hilarious. Proper peak mumsnet frothing about other people daring to exist in the world and go about their business. Why all the rage? Painting a pretty ugly picture of yourselves, marching around seething with bitterness because a baby or whoever happens to be in your way. What a bleak way to live.

@motherofdinosaurs I agree. When you go out in the public domain, you have to expect that some people will irritate you. Just say excuse me and move along. I can't imagine working myself up into a frenzy for something so petty and innocuous.

Yanbu. It drives me bonkers too. I’ve got 3 children and never did this.