Small children taking up seats

[pigdogridesagain]

I recently attended my local walk in centre for a minor ailment, waiting time was around 3 hours. It was absolutely packed in there. I noticed that there were quite a few very ill looking adults stood as all the seats were taken. However many of the seats were taken by small children, AIBU to expect parents to put them on their laps so that adults can sit down? Another thing I noticed was people bringing 3 or 4 family members/friends with them, again taking up seats that someone who is obviously poorly could have used, AIBU?

@FranticToddlerMum But I'm not OK to have a child sitting on my lap for 4 hours!

And it is virtually impossible to constrain a young child for 4 hours on your lap after the effects of steroids and massive doses of Ventolin.

To be fair, I'd happily give up my seat to let someone clearly ill sit down, however I get really annoyed when people assume that someone doesn't deserve to be in A&E because they don't look ill. You've no idea what people are dealing with or what is wrong with them.

I sat on the floor of the waiting room at the maternity hospital once at 38 weeks. At that point one of the men sat down had the good grace to offer me a seat...

Agree its the extended family that's the issue, not children. I had to take DD with me when I took DS to A&E recently, but that was only because I had no one to take her for me. She sat on the floor (under the seats!) but that was by choice. I think it's perfectly reasonable for a child and adult in urgent care or A&E to have a seat each as one of them is probably unwell. But the extended family is completely bizarre and drives me mad. As a PP said, it's the same in the supermarket - mum, dad, 2 toddlers and a baby doing the Sainsbury's run? Why?

@MRex I can understand that there are exceptions, however i personally would have sat my child on my lap so that someone else could have a seat. I've four kids so I've had plenty of experience in this situation!

YANBU. The last time I was at A&E there was a whole family - around 6 of them - eating fish and chips in the waiting area. Strange choice of place for a picnic.

YABU. Children are also people. And sitting with a child on my lap for 3 hours would mean I couldn’t walk.
As for lots of people. It depends why you are there. I remember sitting in a&e with my husband and all 4 kids once because my son injured himself when we were on a day out. Couldn’t go home, no where else to be with the kids. It was stressful as hell but no other option really.

@PineappleDanish that actually makes my stomach turn! Imagine the germs

And they can’t let there child run around as that’s also wrong. So they can sit in a seat.

Who said anything about letting them run round? The child should stand, not run round, if the parent is too ill to take them on their lap.

@pigdogridesagain - just because you would sit your children on your lap for 3 hours doesn’t mean others want or have to. It doesn’t make someone selfish to not want a child climbing all over them for hours.

@Sparkle567 so you don't think it's just about having some common decency?

@TheMemoryLingers - what young child/toddler do you know that stands still for hours give them 5 mins and they will want to ‘explore’

YABU about the small children. I couldn't sit for a long time with a small child on my lap, especially when ill. It's bad enough sitting for long periods on a hard seat as it is. If they are up and playing, not sitting down, then I would offer their seat.

An adult or child over about four, who is well and able to stand for long periods, including those waiting to be seen (not all people who have an appointment will be ill), should give up their seat for someone who is obviously unwell though.

The fish and chip eating family were giving off strong "do not mess with us" vibes. DH was there with a suspected broken ankle (it wasn't, just badly sprained) and I was very glad when we were told to hobble through for a X-ray.

Pigog, the man with the boil on his hand could have lanced it himself, lazy sod.

what young child/toddler do you know that stands still for hourshmm give them 5 mins and they will want to ‘explore’

So it's up to you to tell them that, sorry, this isn't a suitable place to explore. If they can sit still on a seat, how is it any different asking them to stand still? A seat doesn't have magical properties of freezing the child's movements.

The child should stand, not run round, if the parent is too ill to take them on their lap.

When people say things like this, I conclude they’ve never actually met a child outside of a 1950s film.

@pigdogridesagain - no, if I’m ill then I’m going to worry about myself and not have my child sat on my lap making me feel worse.
If my child is ill then they also need a seat.

YANBU! I had the opposite though. DD was about 7, she was so poorly. Got her to childrens a &e and there were some families where child was in the colouring in area and aunts, uncles and next doors sister were all sitting. They were elderly so I didn't really want to ask them to move. My daughter had to curl up on a table to sleep for the 5 hour wait.

Sorry I may get slammed for this but having a toddler with you doesn't mean they should get a seat. If there are any available fine. If however it's packed the chairs are for the ill not someone who has no childcare available. A cancer sufferer or someone with a broken leg should always get priority.

OP increasingly people are selfish. It is getting worse. So no a lot of parents don't see why they should be less comfortable having a small child on their lap so someone can sit down. Obviously not talking about people on this thread who were too ill to have a child on their lap, but those who say why should I.

In my world you do this because you think of others. So me being less comfortable with a small child on my lap is fair so someone ill can sit down.

Sometimes I do fear for the future with how selfish people are becoming. It is all me, me, me now.

@pigdogridesagain my daughter was bouncing round children’s a&e once. An hour later she was in emergency surgery because she had a 6 inch piece of wood embedded in her foot. She has a weirdly high pain threshold. You can’t always tell a child’s problem from their behaviour. Also, if I was in a hospital waiting room for a family member there’s no way I could stand for 10 mins let alone 3 hours. You can’t decide who needs a seat more that way.

A seat doesn't have magical properties of freezing the child's movements.

It’s a facilitator of things that do. Colouring, books, toys. All become manageable when sitting down.

@TheMemoryLingers - for 3 hours?! Get real. Even the most well behaved children will start acting up But you probably have some angel children that will stand still for hours without even moving

@karencantobe I completely agree, some people's sense of entitlement and selfishness is absolutely shocking.