Silence in the waiting room

[Meatandseventeenveg]

Was at the doctor's with my 2 year old this afternoon. We were playing in the children's corner of the room, nothing noisy but just a chat about the pictures of the animals in the room, and DD was also making the animal sounds.

Another person in waiting room told DD to be quiet as there are sick people there (at this point it was just us three in the waiting room). I'm afraid I snapped back that my daughter is sick as well, and turned away.

My daughter, the angel, understood the woman and proceeded to talk in a whisper until the woman left.

So WIBU to think that toddlers are allowed to talk in the doctor's waiting room?

This is one of those parallel mumsnet universe things for me.

It’s not the norm for toddlers/small children not to be kept quiet in waiting rooms in my experience (and I have plenty of that experience). No one is saying they need to sit completely silently but common courtesy and consideration says you don’t let them shout and scream and run around (not that I’m saying for a moment that’s what the OP’s wee one was doing).

To be honest I don’t let me kids carry on like that in public generally, unless in the park or soft play or similar. Places like banks, cafes, shops, i do expect quiet voices and for them not to run around.

YANBU at all OP. We all know that a two year old in a waiting room is a scenario that's balanced on a knife edge. If things go off the rails, then it's screaming and crying and suddenly the waiting room is nostaligic for the animal noises, and you need to bring a worked up toddler in for an appointment and somehow make them coopertate.

Chatting with a two year old and playing with the toys is exactly how you manage the situation to keep things as peaceful as possible for everyone else.

@SummaLuvin

My daughter, the angel

This alone tells me that you account is probably entirely biased and unreliable. Your little darling was probably a pain in the ass, when you are sick/in pain/tired tolerance for irritating things dries up.

No, her daughter is a little angel if she understood and adjusted her behaviour accordingly. Not that she should have to - that woman was completely out of line. I would never scold a child even if they are being noisy. They learn soon enough that the world demands they sit still and be quiet so why not allow them to enjoy the exuberance of youth whilst they can.

A waiting room is unpleasant for everyone but there's no need to tell children to be quiet. Unless they were screaning/running around a parent talking to their child, distracting them etc - what's wrong? Waiting rooms are stressful for adults more so than children!

*whoops I meant to say more so FOR children

I think people agree in general that kids shouldn't be running around screaming in a GPS waiting area. But that isn't the scenario here. They were in the child's area and the OP was keeping her child entertained while waiting to see the GP. No doubt sitting reading a book would also have had a similar level of noise. As adults I am sure we can accept that children's needs in a waiting room, especially young ill children's are different to ours.

@MindyStClaire

YANBU at all OP. We all know that a two year old in a waiting room is a scenario that's balanced on a knife edge. If things go off the rails, then it's screaming and crying and suddenly the waiting room is nostaligic for the animal noises, and you need to bring a worked up toddler in for an appointment and somehow make them coopertate.

Chatting with a two year old and playing with the toys is exactly how you manage the situation to keep things as peaceful as possible for everyone else.

Exactly!

This thread is bloody awful. OPs two year old, along with near enough every other child in a GP waiting room, is also a patient. Who do you think out of the pair of them should be the one to be the most tolerant? Apart from screaming/running around sick children should absolutely be able to talk to their parents in a waiting room ffs.

@IWishToAnswerInTheAffirmative

This is one of those parallel mumsnet universe things for me.

It’s not the norm for toddlers/small children not to be kept quiet in waiting rooms in my experience (and I have plenty of that experience). No one is saying they need to sit completely silently but common courtesy and consideration says you don’t let them shout and scream and run around (not that I’m saying for a moment that’s what the OP’s wee one was doing).

To be honest I don’t let me kids carry on like that in public generally, unless in the park or soft play or similar. Places like banks, cafes, shops, i do expect quiet voices and for them not to run around.

What are you talking about? Who is saying that children should be left to "shout and scream and run around"?

This thread is about a poorly little girl talking and playing in the children's corner of a waiting room and being shushed. People are responding to that scenario because the child's behaviour was entirely normal and acceptable.

Newsflash - most people expect parents to keep their children quiet in public places. It is not a playground. Why not just keep the child on your lap and quietly read a book to them? To say that they ‘need’ to make noise is just pure laziness. It just takes some preparation.

I would assume that the woman only said something because the noise was unreasonable - I would never dream of letting my child make animal noises In a waiting room, it is sheer rudeness. I would not stop her from doing it, I would avoid it by just preparing and having a book with me and explaining in advance that it is quiet place. God no wonder people complain about children with the views expressed on this thread!

Newsflash - most people expect parents to keep their children quiet in public places.

You say that as if everyone needs to comply

She sounds quieter than ds has been in waiting rooms in the past. He has made loud repetative noises many times and we have had shrieking and self injurious behaviour and rolling around on the floor when anxious and in pain.

@claymodels

Newsflash - most people expect parents to keep their children quiet in public places.

You say that as if everyone needs to comply

Well let’s just give up on trying to behave in a socially acceptable way then? Screw everyone else.

-8Well let’s just give up on trying to behave in a socially acceptable way then? Screw everyone else

Nobody was behaving in a socially unacceptable way though. The doctors waiting room ins t a designated quiet area. It's ok for a 2 year old to play and talk with her parent.

@BlaBlaSmthSmth

Yes, stop your kids yelling in a GP waiting room. How on earth do think you are entitled to this?

@XenoBitch so now you're just making things up in an attempt to win an argument?

Making what up? No kids should be running about or yelling in a GP waiting room. Are you saying you have never seen that happen? I have.

Your way isn't necessarily the socially acceptable way. A 2 year old in a child's waiting area making moo sounds at a picture for children sounds fine to me. If I had a book and it had animals in it I'd be quietly asking what sounds the animals make. The child was ill too.

I can't believe some of these responses. In life we come into contact with two year olds. The waiting room is one of those places. We just have to handle the noise.

@ldfdyjxzyjkv

Newsflash - most people expect parents to keep their children quiet in public places. It is not a playground. Why not just keep the child on your lap and quietly read a book to them? To say that they ‘need’ to make noise is just pure laziness. It just takes some preparation. I would assume that the woman only said something because the noise was unreasonable - I would never dream of letting my child make animal noises In a waiting room, it is sheer rudeness. I would not stop her from doing it, I would avoid it by just preparing and having a book with me and explaining in advance that it is quiet place. God no wonder people complain about children with the views expressed on this thread!

Seriously what are you talking about 😂 every single one of us 'makes noise' it's a byproduct of life I'm afraid. There is no need to confine a child to your lap when there is a children's corner.

I would assume that the woman only said something because the noise was unreasonable
Well maybe stop making assumptions. It's blatantly clear that there are plenty of people around who like to whinge about children for no reason. So it's believable that this child's behaviour wasn't unacceptable. This child was talking to her mum..not running, screaming, shouting, doing cartwheels or anything unreasonable. This is what people are responding to.

@Shoxfordian

Talking yes Making loud enough animal noises to annoy other people, no

It isnt a Church, other place of worship, or library. I've never heard of having to be quiet in a waiting room and certainly not children. If animal noises annoy people then people need to stop seeing their arses and give their heads a wobble.

@yikerspipers

I can't believe some of these responses. In life we come into contact with two year olds. The waiting room is one of those places. We just have to handle the noise.

i think the issue is that there should be a difference between soft play and GP waiting room.. but some parents think both are fair game

The issue is that people go to the doctors because they are unwell, some will be sitting there worried as also. The person snapped for one or both of these reasons I expect.

@ldfdyjxzyjkv

I would tell my child in advance that they will have to be quiet because people feel unwell and then remind her each time she makes noise. There is absolutely nothing wrong with starting from the premise that children can adapt their behaviour to different social settings, as your daughter showed you. You just should have prepared her and she would have done it from the start.

Laughing at you thinking this would work with a 2 year old. Have you ever had a 2 year old?

@XenoBitch nothin in the OP suggested she was treating it like a soft play.

@XenoBitc
No kids should be running about or yelling in a GP waiting room. Are you saying you have never seen that happen? I have.

You directed your comment at a specific poster, not random experiences you've had. You said
"Yes, stop your kids yelling in a GP waiting room. How on earth do think you are entitled to this?"

Who said they were "entitled" to let their child yell in a waiting room exactly??

[quote yikerspipers]@XenoBitch nothin in the OP suggested she was treating it like a soft play. [/quote]
I never said OP did.. but subsequent posts have basically told anyone stressed about a kid making noise in a waiting room to suck it up.