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.

[Bonsoir]

Language evolves, constantly. "To parent" is common modern usage. We all grew up with "to mother" (= to care for and bring up children) and "to father" (= to procreate) which is is repulsively sexist usage, IMO.

[fanjoforthemammaries7850]

I'm afraid I have my jaw hanging open in disbelief at the suggestion that you have to use poorer grammar on signs at state schools to cater for the stupid poor.

[CoupleofKooks]

the only one i can't stand is 'ovenable'
that is quite bad
Xenia i think you must know that when you say "many" people are extremely concerned about this - there are thousands of us on here and i think only about 3 people probably give a monkeys

[mrsbean78]

Must take minor issue with the verb test:
I parent
You parent
He/she parents

In linguistic theory, this is syntactically acceptable. The verb 'to menstruate' can be put through a similar syntactic tesyt, thiugh clearly, 'he menstruates' is not semantically permissible.

Using a noun as a verb is an example of productive morphology. It propels the evolution of language.

You may take issue with the verb on semantic grounds, in that the verb 'to parent' implies (to many people) an action carried out by two people which may jar (to some) in the singular: 'she parents'. However, given that, culturally, the underlying meaning of family has changed, this doesn't interfere with the communicative value of the word. Your issue with the semantics, here, is, from a sociolinguistic point of view, purely mediated by considerations of social class.

As pointed out above, the words 'to father' and 'to mother' have prescribed meanings based on a shared understanding of gender roles that has become redundant to many. Hence the communicative need for a replacement: 'to parent'.

[mrsbean78]

proscribed

[Bonsoir]

You don't have to be two to parent... "A parent" is perfectly acceptable usage.

[displayuntilbestbefore]

So looking at how this thread has now changed tack, does it makes it even worse if a parent is loud and can't use proper words when being loud and annoying? The man who walks with his daughter locally has a conversation which goes something like this:
"Ohh, look,X, a little ickle puddy cat in the garden..see it over there. Hey, puddy! Here'sy weersy, come here'sy weersy. Look at that butty wutterfly!"
All that at high volume, wandering about standing on other people's front lawns.

[mrsbean78]

You are right of course, Bonsoir, just trying to imagine grounds for potential objections to the use of the noun as a verb.

[Starberries]

As a childcare professional here -

The conversation typefied by the example in the OP is an excellent way of teaching young children how to speak amongst other things - sensory skills, colours, numeracy, etc.

Did it ever strike you, OP, that this woman may have been a nanny specifically employed to do this type of discussion?

The use of a child's name in conversation is also excellent - it helps promote self-worth (yes, you are an individual worth speaking to and getting opinions from!), as well as identity - 'Am I Evie still today? Yep! Still am!'

Agree that we all to some extent would make a judgement on 'loud parenting' - including me if someone were looking around smugly afterward. Just another point to the discussion!