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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want to punch him repeatedly in the face?

34 replies

SinCity · 10/10/2008 14:49

I was talking to one of the dads at school this morning. His family are like the family from hell. One son in prison, eldest daughter is a drug addict, another son expelled from school, another son on an anger management course (at 10 years old) and youngest son (8) driving everyone crazy at primary school, hurting other kids, disrupting every single class....just being a pain in the arse.

So we were talking and we got on to what the kids eat. He told me his kids don't like cereal much and so usually end up having tea and biscuits for breakfast. TEA AND BISCUITS!?!

And then we got on to the kids homework and he said "I don't make mine do it, I don't see the point in getting them all stressed out doing stuff they don't want to do" (by this he also means the reading books...is there any wonder his 8 year old is still reading reception books??!).

And then we got to what the kids do after school. He told me he doesn't know what his kids do but added very matter of factly "they probably hang around outside the shops on E*** lane, that's what most kids their age do isnt it?"

I just want to add that this man seems nice to talk to, he's not your usual baseball cap wearing thug...he just doesn't have a bloody clue!! and then they wonder why their kids end up the way they do, making an arse of their lives and worse...making life hell for everyone around them. It makes me so mad.

AIBU??

OP posts:
NappiesLaGore · 10/10/2008 14:52

you are scary and hectic and a bit freaky tbh. thats how you sound. chill out woman.

Nagapie · 10/10/2008 14:55

Oh the irony - you want to punch him in the face because his youngest hits your child???

LongDroopyBoobyLady · 10/10/2008 14:57

You both sound delightful.

onager · 10/10/2008 15:10

Oh wanting to is okay. I have a long list of those (mostly politicians)

And yes not a shining example of parental responsibility and in no time at all his kids will be at the school gate with kids of their own.

jesuswhatnext · 10/10/2008 15:12

so his son is still on reception class books! have you considered that maybe dad cant read and so cant help dcs?

imo, tea and biscuits is better than nothing and dad cares enough for the kids to walk them to school - as for where his kids hang out at night, could he have been winding up the snotty, patronising mother who was , for some reason, discussing his kids like it was her business?

moyasmum · 10/10/2008 15:12

yanbu, I can almost hear your jaw hitting the floor as you listen to this "nice" guy. Its amazing the things you hear as "normal"in the playground.

I see you want to punch this guy ,but the point is you don't because you can defer your emotions, unlike him.

You've met him , chalk it up to experience .

Twiglett · 10/10/2008 15:13

did your jaw actually hit the floor or did you smile at him and reinforce his view that he's right?

Liffey · 10/10/2008 15:15

I think he was winding you up!

He probably thought to himself, I bet this woman pays £15 for an organic chicken and makes homemade soup and worships JOhnnie Boden. She thinks I've got a widescreen tv and no brains, This is gunna be so much fun! And off he launched into his shocking spiel........

pingping · 10/10/2008 15:22

is he a single parent??

jesuswhatnext · 10/10/2008 15:22

moyasmum - how the buggery do you know the guy 'cant defer his emotions'?

the op hasn't said he is violent or aggressive!

pingping · 10/10/2008 15:23

YABU it's none of your business you don't know what his back ground is and at least he is feeding his children before they come to school biscuits are better than nothing.

Miyazaki · 10/10/2008 15:30

Mine had chocolate brownies for breakfast yesterday.

It is quite funny that out of your list of Daily Mail shockers (drug addict! prison!) the thing that has really got your goat, enough for it to be the only thing in caps is,

TEA AND BISCUITS!!!!!!

Tamarto · 10/10/2008 15:33

YABU - It's not like it was a nip of vodka for breakfast followed by a greggs sausage roll.

pagwatch · 10/10/2008 15:36

Actually - if you look at the amount of sugar in most cereals then tea and biscuits isn't terribly different.
In fact if I had to contemplate the choice between coco pops or a couple of wholemeal digestive then the biscuits are probably healthier.

As for the rest...not a clue

MrsSnape · 10/10/2008 15:37

YANBU

Sycamoretree · 10/10/2008 15:39

tea and biscuits - not crack cocaine and absinthe.

Look, clearly we all could say "could do better", and there is obviously a bit of class handbag holding going on here, but you know, there are worse things in the world than not being able to improve your own child's reading age at home, or not be giving the best diet in the world.

If the kids are loved, then my god, I could think of worse things to get my knickers in a twist about.

Are you really that shocked that some families eat like this?

You say he's a nice man, so just assume that beyond some less than ideal parenting skills, he's probably a decent dad. He's not abusing his kids or anything.

moyasmum · 10/10/2008 15:42

Yeah, i missed the bit where he could be on one big wind up.

If what he says is true though, i can guess he is lazy and kidding himself about what kids do.
(I'm not saying hes agressive,but maybe puts his own pleasure,comfort above the concerns of the kids and cant see the world outside).

Liffey · 10/10/2008 15:53

Actually, and I swear this is true, my dc1 had lemon drizzle cake for breakfast this morning. I'd promised her a slice last night but she had to go to bed before it cooled. So this morning, first thing she was 'after her slice' and I just said... oh alright then. She negotiated another slice just now.

akhems · 10/10/2008 15:54

we used to have milky coffee and biscuits for breakfast in Italy, quite normal there and neither I nor my family are thugs or vagabonds, lol

Sycamoretree · 10/10/2008 16:04

Yes, no worse than a pain au chocolat or a croissant!

pamelat · 10/10/2008 16:11

I feel a bit bad as I gave my 9 month DD a rich tea biscuit for breakfast yesterday, she wouldnt eat her usual cereal or toast and it was coming up for nap time

pagwatch · 10/10/2008 16:15

I sent mine to school with a huge cake and no breakfast today

Ripeberry · 10/10/2008 16:19

My DD2 has pink milk and biscuits for breakfast and DD1 has co-co pops.
I must be a street hooker then

cory · 10/10/2008 16:22

Cocoa pops are the work of the devil. As are Frosties and the whole range of sugar-coated, sodium-high hoops, pops and shapes. Not to mention the additive-laden milkshake drinks. Far better to have a healthy diet of biscuits and tea IMO.

(and what is so bad about a 10yo and an 8yo drinking tea? weren't we all doing that at that age? those weren't the days of childhood obesity)

cory · 10/10/2008 16:23

Sorry Ripeberry, didn't see your post. Oh well, never mind, your dc's will just have to grow up into thugs.