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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

608 replies

allthewaythere · 31/12/2019 10:07

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?

OP posts:
my2bundles · 31/12/2019 16:22

It's already been explained why the op couldn't say excuse me.

MissConductUS · 31/12/2019 16:24

In NYC you can be ticketed by the police or a traffic agent for stepping into the street for while not at a designated cross walk. Cars get the roads, people get the sidewalks. It doesn't happen often but it can happen. City drivers can be quite aggressive and they also don't expect you to possible step off the sidewalk.

Whatisthis56 · 31/12/2019 16:24

Erm patience. All got to live in the world. Don't call a baby names. Its just not nice it mature. It's an innocent child FFS

Whatisthis56 · 31/12/2019 16:25

Immature

Original poster
allthewaythere · 31/12/2019 16:25

Who called a baby names?!

OP posts:
my2bundles · 31/12/2019 16:28

My kids are also innocent children who deserve to walk on the footpath, they make way for others and dindint force others into tne road.. If they want to stroll with a baby that's fine, just have the courtesy to choose somewhere that's not teeming with crowds of people trying to get past.

my2bundles · 31/12/2019 16:31

Saying diddums is not name calling a baby. It's in response to a poster who carnt possibly upset a baby for a few minutes by picking it up to show consideration to everyone else on tne street.

Nursejackie1 · 31/12/2019 16:37

But you are trying very hard to paint a picture of some scene from a disaster movie when in reality you were walking behind a baby! There was no risk. The parents were enjoying their kid and you were annoyed that you weren’t the absolute priority. The reason the phrase excuse me exists is that sometimes people do not realise they are in your way. If the people in front haven’t said excuse me then it’s on them. Like I said sometimes toddlers take up your whole attention span and rightly so. Nobody was being purposely rude to you. Time to move on.

Original poster
allthewaythere · 31/12/2019 16:38

No I not nurse don’t be silly.

Annoyed I wasn’t the absolute priority!? What the hell!

OP posts:
LadyLightning · 31/12/2019 16:38

YANBU - but it isnt just parents. Lots of people are thoughtless about people around them. on a wider pavement it would be cute - when blocking others, it is thoughtless. Same impulse as the people who walk through the door into a shop and stop dead, or get off the escalator and then stop. The other day I was at a christmas market, would have liked to have looked at a particular stall and there but there were two couples stood right in front of it chatting up a storm. Ended up walking away.

Nursejackie1 · 31/12/2019 16:39

my2 bundles and why is it that your kids waiting a few seconds or saying excuse me is so abhorrent to you? Oh diddums your poor little mites.

Nursejackie1 · 31/12/2019 16:39

So what are you annoyed about then?!

BlaueLagune · 31/12/2019 16:41

Doors slammed on you while you’re pushing a pram, people from all walks of life parking in baby spaces and being nudged out of the way in shops because now that you’re holding a baby you are less threatening so easier to challenge

Nope didn't notice this when I had a child. Didn't use the baby spaces anyway as I don't and didn't drive a tank so didn't need to, but generally found people whacked into my ankles with their buggies and agree with the example of people walking right across a pavement and expecting you to walk in the gutter, even if cars are coming. I just stop dead and make them go round me if the alternative is for me to walk in front of a car. To be fair that's not the sole preserve of parents though.

And obviously the whole "I've got to drive half a mile to do the school run because younger sibling can't be expected to walk".

And "my child is entitled to express themselves so it's fine for them to run up and down in a cafe or restaurant" as recently discussed on another thread.

Whatisthis56 · 31/12/2019 16:42

If you were calling my toddler diddums on a public forum and being a misery about him walking along I'd not be happy about it. Get over it. It hardly ruined your day did it. The parents were enjoying their baby. Yes you should move to one side to let people past. But the person behind them should of asked them to move politely and then I'm sure they would of moved across!

Whatisthis56 · 31/12/2019 16:47

A 10 year old died after being hit by an ambulance on Sunday. Just seen it in the news. Maybe you should look around you at the sad world we live in and try and be a little bit less pissed off with a happy family

bowchicawowwow · 31/12/2019 16:47

YANBU. Was in the bank this morning where a dad and two preschoolers came in. He parked the balance bikes up against the paying in machine pretty much blocking it, then went to another desk to write out the paying in slip. The boys were climbing over everything while Dad was busy. Dad then starts chatting on his phone, one small boy then drags and drops a balance bike into the middle of the bank. Dad oblivious and there were some elderly people there so I moved it somewhere a bit more out the way. Dad then nicks my place in the queue while still bellowing away on his phone. By this time one of the boys was stood on a chair and the other was playing with the cashpoint someone was waiting to use. Gahhhh

PurpleDaisies · 31/12/2019 16:48

whatisthis that tragic but has absolutely nothing to do with this thread.

needmoresleep1 · 31/12/2019 16:49

This is one of my biggest hates on the school run!! Parents with their newly walking child blocking the whole path when everyone is in a rush to get to work!!!!
They then look at you as though "isn't ...... cute"
NO IT ISN'T! PICK IT UP!!!!!!

Penelopeschat · 31/12/2019 16:50

I agree! I think parenthood becomes an excuse for a lot of unreasonable and self absorbed behaviour! I say that as a parent myself

Whatisthis56 · 31/12/2019 16:51

Nope it doesn't. But I can't understand people kicking off over a sweet innocent child. Moan about the shitty stuff that really is an issue. That's not an issue. It's a miserable person not having patience. It won't happen everyday. Our toddlers need a walk. Yes they are slow. So are traffic lights, the elderly, disabled, gangs of Teenagers, middle age folk gossiping outside the shops. We all have a right to enjoy our lives at your own pace. The people behind needed to say excuse me. Simple. Or wait. It's hardly a major issue in this life is it.

Whatisthis56 · 31/12/2019 16:52

@needmoresleep1 say excuse me. Walk around them. School run is crowded. They have a right to walk aswel. Don't call people's children it!

FrivolousPancake · 31/12/2019 16:57

PICK IT UP!!!!!!

It 🤣🤣

Misscromwellrocks · 31/12/2019 16:59

Why are one or two posters being so defensive on here. Of course, if you're walking along a busy street, you should be aware of not unnecessarily inconveniencing others. If someone is disabled or elderly that is unavoidable and obviously tolerance and empathy come into play.

But a small baby can be picked up and carried or put into their buggy, which is what most considerate people would do.

DianneWhatcock · 31/12/2019 17:00

@needmoresleep1

Absolutely LOL at "pick it up" 😂😂😂😂 👏

my2bundles · 31/12/2019 17:02

Nurse Jackie. My kids are the politest kids you could meet. They do wait, they make room. The one thing they are not allowed to do under any circumstances is step into a road because other people carnt be bothered to make way. You can be tne politest person in tne world saying excuse je but some people still don't move and continue blocking tne path it will be a cold day in hell before my kids step into a road to avoid them