Unsolicited parenting advice from a random man in the street

[HistoryBufff3]

I was out with my 2yo DS in the buggy today, he was having a temper tantrum on the way back from the library because he was tired. I tried to placate him but he was having none of it.

As i'm getting a move on he was sliding down in the seat, tantrumming, and putting his legs on the bumper bar. I put his legs down, he did it again. Rinse and repeat.

After repositioning him in the seat a good three times I thought, just leave him to it, it's an awkward way to sit but no harm done. It isn't hurting him. Let's just hurry up and get him home without causing any more of a scene.

A random man who I assume works for the council given the job he was doing, stopped me in the street by blocking my path and told me in a harsh tone to "fix that bebbys legs"

I wish I had said something witty in response but all I could muster was that he shouldn't be commenting on strangers parenting in the street (unless there was abuse, of course)

Do you think he was reasonable or unreasonable to do that? It has annoyed me and is the last thing a parent needs when they're just doing their best in a stressful situation.

@TTourmalines
I thought because he used the word Nancy.. which is an old fashioned word for an homosexual.. used when he would have been much younger.

We had a random elderly woman inform us our daughter’s legs were tired. We knew that because we’d taken her on a long walk. She wasn’t complaining, just dragging her feet a bit. Thank you random woman for your astute observation 🫡

Ooooh that would have given me the rage. I remember going to Sainsburys when DD was a baby in her pram and she was screaming her head off. Some fuckiing wino sat on the bench outside said "turn that thing down". A bloody tramp drinking special brew on a bench at 10am. The audacity! I didn't say anything but wish I had.

Love it! 👍🏼

If he was working for the council and you have noted the day, time, and location of the incident, plus the sort of work he was doing, I'd be very tempted to call whatever department you think he was working for and find out how to submit a complaint about his behaviour. Other than that, if your council has an ombudsman, I'd complain there.

He had no business obstructing your progress on a public footpath. That is very worrying. It's more worrying than what he said.

I honestly would have replied with "and kindly fuck off" tbh.

I think its positive he checked. He could have been a bit more gracious.

You're a hero! It's the sort of think I'd think of afterwards.

I’ve made a note of that too having read it on here before. Great line.

He would have got a "fuck off" from me. Tantruming toddlers are stressful enough without unsolicited advice.

@ParadiseLaundry my gawd I am roaring at WHERE IS YOUR HAT FOR YOUR BALD HEAD THEN! This thread has properly made me laugh

I have had it multiple, multiple times from old women. Just last week my son had run around the corner to literally go 30 meters to home on the footpath because he was desperate for the loo and old woman says ‘you can’t let him do that’. My favourite was shopping in Morrisons carrying my youngest in a baby bjorn thing with an old woman stalking me through the chilled aisles until she came up to me and said accusingly ‘is that a real baby’. I said ‘no it is one of those fake ones’.

I have told my wife next time an old woman (and it has only ever been old women) tells our children off or questions my parenting of our children they are going to get both barrels. There are a certain generation of women who refuse to accept that a man can actually look after children. Although younger women can be differently bad. I got sick of ‘ahh is it your turn to babysit’ or ‘giving mum a break?’ from checkout women aged 18 to 65 and would just snap ‘he/she is my bloody child.’

@Wellhellooooodear I tend to say something in the heat of the moment, then wonder later if I should have held my tongue (which hardly ever happens). My family still talks about the Takeaway Incident of 2002. 😂

I read this once on MN and actually remembered it when a twatty man was giving me unsolicited advice.
I was so proud of myself; thank you MN.

That is brilliant!

"Someone's hungry"

Has me gone.

You just know he’d never have done that to a man, don’t you. What a knob.

Tell all!

I would have lamped him purely for "bebby"!

F

Ha, try living in India, the unsolicited advice from random elderly men and women is constant. It's nice they care but I'm not actually an idiot.

Yeah this, report him

I would, but it’s a bit of a long story and I end up looking rather bad in the end.

I very vaguely remember a man shouting u solicited and irrelevant "advice" or commentary at me when my lo was a baby or toddler - something about covering her up in the sun or something.... While he couldn't possibly have known if I had suncream on her or not, or that she'd pull a hat off.

It is rude, inappropriate and tbh mostly people who.are very dumb and or not the full shilling do that sort of thing.

Generally they're mad people.

But since he works for the council, he doesn't get a free pass for being a mad man in the street.

In some ways I think these people are trying to appear authoritative and knowledgeable ..... While actually ending up looking the opposite.