To get a teeny bit irritated by people who "parent loudly"

[Rollergirl1]

I was at the swimming baths yesterday and there was a mother with her toddler DD getting her dressed into her swimming costume. They were sat the bench just across from me and mother kept up a running commentary in a booming jovial voice the entire time...

" Come now Evie, shall we take your trousers off now? What colour are your trousers? Are they pink? Can you say pink? Oh good girl! Can you stand up for Mummy? No Evie, stay here like a good girl. Gosh you are a little monkey aren't you. What sound does a monkey make? That's right. Okay, shall we bring Ducky with us? What colour is Ducky? Is he yellow? Oh you clever thing. Can you say ducky? What sound do ducks make? Quack quack yellow ducky." And it went on. And on.

It really isn't a crime atall but I got the distinct impression that it was all for everyone else's benefit and she was expecting everyone in there to comment on her exceptional parenting and how well she interacts with her child, and isn't Evie just the cutest little thing and how old is she.........when instead I was just thinking SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!!!

I know it probably makes me sound like a right cow but I just find the whole "look at what a great parent I am" thing kinda irksome.

[blueshoes]

'Parent' as a verb is effective in this context, because it not only conveys the OP's meaning, it invokes the cringeworthiness (to borrow your phrase) of overinvolved parenting associated with the verb 'parent' .

Bear in mind language evolves.

Still wondering how you would re-phrase the thread title.

[Xenia]

People who write properly never say it though so it's important others reaslise how they will be judged if they us it as a verb. That doesn't mean they have to stop doing so just as plenty like to say haitch lots will see it as a matter of pride that no matter how successful they are they would always say "you was". It is simply important people know many will wince at the incorrect grammar of it like all the mumsnetters who write grammer school on grammar school threads.

Most of us tend not to use "get" in written English too as I am sure most of us were taught at school.

"To get a teeny bit irritated by people who "parent loudly""

"To be irritated by people who are loud parents" is how I would have written it or "are loud in how they speak to their children in public".

Language certainly does evolve and sometimes there's a merit in being a little behind because that can gain you kudos in job applications and how you're viewed by others unless you want to be "real cool" and with it with the children (but never kids... baby goats - the use of the word kid really does separate the sheep from the goats - never let it pass your lips)

[5DollarShake]

Good Lord. I am as pedantic as the next person, but Xenia, your recent posts take the .

We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Some people have a fantastic grasp of the English language; other do not. For what it's worth, I don't think the OP has made a desperate faux pas and in any case, has put quotation marks around "parent loudly' as if to distinguish it as unusual.

For all you know, she may be a nuclear physicist or have a first in Maths from Cambridge, or even just be an amazing mother - but you're choosing to judge her on her use of English. Nice.

[fartmeistergeneral]

Am seriously laughing at the twists and turns this thread has taken! Are we onto judging language now??!!!

[CoupleofKooks]

i was doing it today and i caught myself doing it! you have destroyed my enjoyment of loudly and clearly repeating things that ds2, the talking genius toddler, has said, for the edification of the masses who may not quite have caught it the first time around (because it probably sounds like 'bwa da pa' to anyone except me)

you bastards you have ruined it

[fartmeistergeneral]

LeQueen, totally agree.

The thing is I do judge people, can't help it, am human. Have we really no capability here to laugh at ourselves? I'm a bit lentil weaving/mung beany, and I know people probably have a snigger at me, and thankfully I can laugh at myself too.

I don't believe for one minute that there are people who don't judge anyone AT ALL. Also, actually, I don't like the word 'judge'. We're just having a lighthearted giggle - or we were a good number of pages ago!!!!

[Knownowt]

I talked to my children like this when they were small(well, not quite as bad as the example given, but I did keep up a bit of a running commentary), although not loudly. What else are you supposed to do, conduct your life in silence? If they're too small to conduct a conversation you don't have much other choice. I think it also helps with the whole sanity thing to feel you're interacting, explaining the world to them etc- honestly I would have felt like I was in some terrifying Beckett play if I'd done all the repetitive mind-numbing slog of looking after small children without being able to chat to myself/them.

[PussinJimmyChoos]

Xenia: "A lot of very much do care if parent becomes a verb"

err..do you not mean 'a lot of us very much do care if parent becomes a verb'

[Gashtray]

I do it. Lots in Waitrose, less so in Tesco, never in Asda. My children have Classical names, too. I just love the way it pisses people off. Tee hee.

Xenia, is your comma key broken?

[lottiejenkins]

This reminds me of that woman with the two children on Catherine Tates show!!

[blouseenthusiast]

Xenia, MN purports to provide "parenting tips" - have you complained to HQ? Use of "parent" as a verb by OP much more effective than your alternative thread title formulations methinks.

[Xenia]

The words "parenting tips" make me cringe, but then so does "mumsnet". For some of us mum is a dreadful word which will never be said - it's mummy all the way. However the site has to appeal to its demographic. I'm a capitalist too. Appeal to the lowest common denominator. Have signs in state schools saying parents parking whereas the private school would say parents' parking etc etc Dumb down so the stupid and poor feel better. Feel free but make sure the stupid and poor at least are told that many people will judge them badly if they use parent as a verb. That's my only point.

Some people just aren't aware which is sad. In the 1940s my mother taught classes of 40+ children and felt they were good enough to learn "If I were you ". "You and I" and never ever "for free" or "on the weekend".

[JunoWatt]

you barketh

[AngryPixie]

I want to go to a school with parents' parking or even parent parking or parent's parking or parents parking!!!

I dream of parking......

[EndangeredSpecies]

Pedant alert:

"parent" is a verb and has been since 2004 according to the Eleventh Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary.

As you were.

[allegrageller]

cringe at Xenia's bracketing together of the 'stupid and poor'!That's a fair bit more offensive than 'parenting'

[blouseenthusiast]

I think people have different pedantry peeves, Xenia. I cannot accept "impact" as a verb but "parent" does not trouble me. People have been complaining about language change and dvelopment even longer than they have been complaining about how Mumsnet isn't what it used to be the olden days.

[Appealforhelp]

I think I may parent loudly to dd sometimes,inadvertantly.

She has sn so I have to give her simple clear instructions.

I think I do this somewhat loudly on occasions,to attract her attention.

Guilty as charged!!

[Knownowt]

Completely agree, Blouse. I find that misuse of "hopefully" and "disinterested" makes me want to scratch my eyes out. "Parent" as a verb doesn't bother me much at all as it adds something to the language rather than taking something away (cf misuse of "disinterested" when we already have "uninterested"). Other people have their own pet pedantries. I'm not sure one can read anything into them regarding level of education.

[Xenia]

Yes, I can't stand - "this impacts me". Should be "this has an impact on me".

..inadvertent.. with an e I think.

Of course language does change. I even use google as a verb in some contexts but I just think it is important that people are aware that some people will make judgments about them based on how "up to date" or old fashioned their written English is. As long as they know they can then use what they like even "c u l8r". Knowledge gives you power.

[fartmeistergeneral]

Lol at 'mum' being a dreadful word!! Why??!! Even when your children are adults themselves??

Also lol at the 'stupid and poor' combo.