Children Are So Irritating

[SmidgenofaPigeon]

LIGHTHEADED KLAXON

Am I sure I want one? I mean it’s a bit late because I’m three months pregnant, not by accident or anything, I did do it on purpose. I am also a nanny.

But I’m sitting in the park while one of my charges plays football. I got a coffee, and went to the cottage-garden type bit where they have hanging bird feeders. I was enjoying the lovely spring day sounds.

Within minutes lots of parents and children (ok, six children) turned up, and the let the children loose. No pigeon is safe. They are brandishing sticks. They are lobbing bits of gravel. They are shrieking. They are blundering through low-lying shrubbery. They are pushing each other over and crying. The parents occasionally whine ‘Sophia, Jacob, stop it’ intermittently but in a way you might say ‘oh it’s raining’

There is a HUGE adventure playground in this park so I don’t know why the shrubs and gravel gardens are holding so much appeal.

I’ve been a nanny for ten years and I’ve never let any children terrorise pigeons. Just why? If mine shriek for no good reason they’re told sharply to stop it. They have a freer range in actual child-dedicated play areas, obviously. They aren’t allowed to brandish sticks in each other’s faces.

I know it’s not the children’s fault really but oh it’s irritating!

braces self for cries of ‘you don’t own the park you know!’ And ‘they’re just being children! They’ve been locked up for months!

Children will be children. That's why parents have to be parents.

@ViciousJackdaw

Children will be children. That's why parents have to be parents.

Simply put and well said.

Yeah kids are really annoying. Sorry about your pregnancy I guess.

I adore kids, sometimes get annoyed with their parents though! I hardly ever witness the kind of behaviour that people on MN seem to experience constantly but I also think it’s important to distinguish between what is not okay (harming each other, animals or plants) and what is actually very normal childish play (brandishing sticks, shrieking).

Weirdly for a parenting site it does seem quite common on mumsnet for people to not really like kids that much. I think they’re bloody brilliant.

@whenwillthemadnessend

Yep other kids are a pain other dogs can be a pain other humans can be a pain

I come to the conclusion that all other beings are annoying and I'm am perfect 🤩

Your grammar has gone a bit awry, however

@ViciousJackdaw

Children will be children. That's why parents have to be parents.

I'm totally stealing this.

Seeing other people’s kids is exactly why I chose never to reproduce. Sure you get one or two who seem sweet but the majority of children seem to be real PITA! And there are some children who are just nasty, bad, future adult assholes in the making, and the prospect of producing one of them is the best contraceptive ever!

My dad always said children are like farts. They’re only tolerable when they are your own. 🤣🤫

@ViciousJackdaw

Children will be children. That's why parents have to be parents.

Love this.

Also this My dad always said children are like farts. They’re only tolerable when they are your own hes not wrong

But seriously though, if you think children are annoying let me tell you about teenagers!!!!!

You are right, they are fucking irritating. And I have two!

I always try and prevent them from irritating other people though because I am not a thoughtless nobhead, and I don’t believe kids have a right to run around like hooligans at the expense of someone else’s enjoyment.

If folk were a little more considerate in all aspects of life we’d be a lot better off on my opinion.

Omg, my toddler Dd picks a flower when we walk in tbe woods, this isn’t ok? 🤷🏻‍♀️🙈

They are complete savages. There's no stopping them They destroy everything. Occasionally they are funny though, and that's worth a lot in these dreary times.

@Mynamehaschanged

Omg, my toddler Dd picks a flower when we walk in tbe woods, this isn’t ok? 🤷🏻‍♀️🙈

Wild flowers, which aren't planted and pruned specifically to look nice to everyone, fine imo.

I hate kids, my own annoys me enough at times but i don't know anyone who actually likes kids in general except people who never actually have anything to do with them lol

@Mynamehaschanged daisy or buttercup type flower? Fine.

Bluebells, crocuses, daffs etc? No, not fine. Can’t you just teach her to appreciate it growing there and leave it be?

One of the things that grinds my gears the most is parents letting their children terrorise pigeons. I absolutely hate it. Poor pigeons, their lives are already hard enough.

@Odile13 I know! Why? And why is it seen as fair game because ‘they’re only pigeons’ (as one parent said to me when I asked her kid to stop trying to kick them) why would you teach your child it’s ok to harass and frighten ANY living thing that’s just going about its business?

I do actually love pigeons though. But even if subscribed to the pests/rats with wings school of thought, I’d still just let them be!

The more irritating the kid, the less effective the parent.
All flower picking is a no-no unless it’s daisies, buttercups or dandelions.

@SmidgenofaPigeon I love them too! I’ve just noticed your username

I have stepped in before to protect pigeons when they’re been hounded. Once it looked like someone was trying to stamp on one so I got in the way.

I feel your pain. My neighbour has 2 who only seem to be able to talk by constantly shrieking, screaming and terrorising their dog. Does my tits right in. When me and my siblings were kids my mum would bollock us for screaming for no reason lol

The pigeon thing is so annoying, would you let your kid terrorise another animal? DD (3) is now very judgy of other kids doing it but it took a while

Pigeons need us to keep fighting their corner 💪🏻🐦

My children have never ran after pigeons, but it honestly doesn’t bother me when I see others do it. For one thing, I have never in all my days, seen a child actually catch one! It’s just childhood fun isn’t it? The birds can fly off if they want to. I think I’d feel differently if they were a trapped or caged animals, but they aren’t. Equally, children in trolleys - I’ve never done it, but as I bag and later wash my unpackaged food, I don’t see the problem if it helps a fellow parent get round the supermarket. Again, whilst I am sure accidents have happened, I have never seen one nor heard of anyone I know having one in this way, so perhaps I’m naive to the danger. The social proprietary side of it though just doesn’t bother me.

Yeah, pigeons can fly away if they want.

When my DS was a toddler he was exactly like the kids you’ve described. So irritating. Following destructive instincts (pigeon chasing, stone throwing, shrub wrecking).

So I spent a LOT of time and effort always keeping an eye on him, always stopping him, always trying to get through to him.
It was exhausting, but I think it’s paid off now he’s a bit older!

Parents that don’t even try are even more irritating than the kids.

If the kids on my street are anything to go by then yes, they are irritating. Very.