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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think she should have let my child have the balloon?

155 replies

Bleepbleeep · 04/09/2022 18:00

We were out earlier at a chain pub style restaurant and they had a stand with some balloons on for children to have.

My son (4) went up to get one which happened to be the last but just as he was going up, a woman at a table closer got up and got it (it was very obvious my son was going for it and she turned around to him and said oh sorry).

She then walked back to her table and gave it to a baby sat in a high chair who couldn't have been over 8 months old.

AIBU to think she should have let my son take it rather than giving it to a baby who basically dropped it after 2 seconds and didn't look at it again.

OP posts:
slashlover · 04/09/2022 20:19

MsRosley · 04/09/2022 18:54

'Now your baby has had a bit of fun with the balloon, do you mind if I give it to my son? He's very disappointed.'

sweet smile

Is sweet smile the new head tilt or tinkly laugh

Mummyoflittledragon · 04/09/2022 20:21

I also think that was mean. An 8 month old has no attention span and wouldn’t really have benefitted from the balloon. She is still in baby land and didn’t get this yet. I had it with someone with a child 2/3 years younger, who thought my dd at 7 should act more like a grown up and very differently from her chronological, age appropriate behaviour.

VivX · 04/09/2022 20:21

Mum reaches balloon before 4yr old because she happens to be at a closer table... it's such a non-event.

But this somehow warrants not only a thread but also suggestions of balloon popping, shoving and drink spilling.

And why would anyone in their right mind be gleeful about giving a baby a lifelong aversion to balloons.

Darbs76 · 04/09/2022 20:21

I’d have let the child have it personally. But not everyone would, clearly

nutellachurro · 04/09/2022 20:23

homarrre · 04/09/2022 20:15

What a twat.

I wonder if that's her first baby? I'm guessing she didn't realise how something like that could upset a 4 year old.

I hope when her child turns 4 and gets upset and kicks off about everything that she looks back and realises that she acted like a prick.

It doesn't matter though

I don't live life wondering what my actions might look or feel like to random 4 year olds

She got there first.

Viviennemary · 04/09/2022 20:25

That was mean of her. Horrible.

Ketanne · 04/09/2022 20:27

This thread is hilarious. I don't think I'd have given it a second thought if I were the woman or the OP. I certainly wouldn't be looking back on the situation in years to come thinking "oh that poor, balloon-less 4 year old 😪" 😂

VivX · 04/09/2022 20:30

It is strange that some people are claiming the moral high ground here but are also condoning spiteful behaviour such as drink spilling, shoving, balloon popping and giving babies a life-long fear of balloons.

"...I would have walked past her chair and knocked into it..."
"Accidently spilling a drink too 😆"
"Should have taken a fork to it and popped it over baby's head."
"Serve her right if the balloon pops giving the baby a lifetime aversion to balloons..."

Seriously, WTF?

MichelleScarn · 04/09/2022 20:31

Ketanne · 04/09/2022 20:27

This thread is hilarious. I don't think I'd have given it a second thought if I were the woman or the OP. I certainly wouldn't be looking back on the situation in years to come thinking "oh that poor, balloon-less 4 year old 😪" 😂

You mean balloon-gate wouldn't be seared into your memory?
Now if one of the children was called Ballonz they would have had dibs on it!

CovertImage · 04/09/2022 20:35

Five pages of responses to this pointless bullshit

I'm obviously not upset over this, it's a balloon

DarkShade · 04/09/2022 20:38

I would have given your kid the balloon I think, but in fairness at 8 - 10 months my son certainly knew what a balloon was and would have played with it. If he had been pointing to them and showing he wanted one he would have understood me saying I was going to get it. Obviously unlike the 4 year old he would have forgotten instantly and been easy to distract but just saying - I don't get the assumption that it's ridiculous to get a balloon for a small baby.

Original poster
Bleepbleeep · 04/09/2022 20:41

This blew up! (Pun intended) 😂

Obviously I was never going to pop any balloons over babies heads or spill drinks over anyone.

OP posts:
VictoriaConcordiaCrescit · 04/09/2022 20:42

Anxietyriddenx · 04/09/2022 18:02

YABU to write a whole post on this

Makes a change though, all I ever see on here is posts about energy prices, the MIL and OLD

Original poster
Bleepbleeep · 04/09/2022 20:44

VictoriaConcordiaCrescit · 04/09/2022 20:42

Makes a change though, all I ever see on here is posts about energy prices, the MIL and OLD

Show quote history

It was a MN public service really Smile

OP posts:
sundayvibeswig22 · 04/09/2022 20:49

I thought you were going to say she took it for herself. She had a child and might have thought her child would've been interested in it. Mine loved a balloon at that age. I think you're being precious.

rainbowmilk · 04/09/2022 20:54

homarrre · 04/09/2022 20:15

What a twat.

I wonder if that's her first baby? I'm guessing she didn't realise how something like that could upset a 4 year old.

I hope when her child turns 4 and gets upset and kicks off about everything that she looks back and realises that she acted like a prick.

I highly doubt the OP’s 4 year old is of such significance that this woman will even remember this incident in years to come, much less treat it as a Damascene moment in her life.

LimboLass · 04/09/2022 20:58

I agree your kid might have got more use out of the balloon but that does not mean your kid gets de facto dibs over the baby.

The sense of entitlement is strong in this one.

Somethingneedstochange · 04/09/2022 21:10

This reminds me of the time I was at the park with my son and daughter. Daughter was just a baby coming up one and not long been sturdy enough to go in the swing's at the park. I had put son (3) with autism in one swing..

i couldn't have him running around while his sister was in a swing. They were the only swing's next to each other. I was getting her out of her pram when this woman came from nowhere and put a toddler. I'm stood there with my daughter in my arms and and jaw dropped. Some parents can be worse than the fucking kids.

Dibbydoos · 04/09/2022 21:11

She's tw@t for doing that.

Some people are.

Hope your DS was OK about it and not upset. You could have asked staff to find one for him, I'm sure thry would have...

MiddleOfHere · 04/09/2022 21:11

homarrre · 04/09/2022 20:15

What a twat.

I wonder if that's her first baby? I'm guessing she didn't realise how something like that could upset a 4 year old.

I hope when her child turns 4 and gets upset and kicks off about everything that she looks back and realises that she acted like a prick.

Surely, one of a parent's jobs is to help a 4yr old get a healthy sense of perspective that the world has not collapsed because a baby got the last balloon before them.

Nobody needs to be labelled a prick in this scenario.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 04/09/2022 21:22

i couldn't have him running around while his sister was in a swing. They were the only swing's next to each other. I was getting her out of her pram when this woman came from nowhere and put a toddler. I'm stood there with my daughter in my arms and and jaw dropped. Some parents can be worse than the fucking kids.

I hate peoples who swoop in when they just know another person is going for a particular thing. They must know.

Equally people who run to get train seats almost from under your bum. Now people will act dumb and say “oh but they got there first”, not when you can see someone is in the process of going for something and you run / dive in to get it first.

None if the replies have convinced me this mum was not out of order. She’s does sound like a first time mum of the baby - the kind who would refer to a four year old as “an older child” 😂

Backtoblack1 · 04/09/2022 21:26

theemmadilemma · 04/09/2022 18:03

Let it be a lesson that everyone thinks their own child is the most important thing in the world. 🤷‍♀️

Exactly this.

Weirdwonders · 04/09/2022 21:28

This thread is more in the spirit of AIBU than most! YANBU OP, I can’t imagine treating a child like that.

MeAndMyKatzen · 04/09/2022 23:01

FWIW, I hate balloons. And I was joking. Seriously!

Mybumlooksbig · 04/09/2022 23:06

YANBU. I hope the baby screamed all night for her 🤣