'oh, she's not walking yet then'

[Sleepstarved]

grrr, am so angry and I wasn't even there.
DH has just said an old woman asked how old DD was in the butcher's today (she was standing leaning with her hands on the glass) and when he said she has just turned 15 months, she sneered and said how wobbly she was and obviously wasn't walking yet.

How dare you just pass comment on a random stranger's child? I would never dream of doing that.
Only 50 per cent of children are walking by age 14 months and up to two is considered normal range.
Imagine if she knew DD isn't even crawling properly
(she has some gross motor delay but local hosp and specialists don't have major concerns, having physio for weak core)
Is this how it is going to be until DD walks, snidey comments and tuts?
Want to rise above it but think I'd be rude back.

Ignore, some people don't seem to realise when things don't concern them!!

My daughter is only ten months but I still get comments like, "Oh, I don't think she should have a dummy!" Like it was their business or their decision!

I was very restrained and simply replied "I am her mother, thanks" and swiftly went on my way.

Excellent response Dany. OP, ignore, but whenever possible use Dany's reply!

...And breathe...

Ignore. At least you weren't told she was going to be a little fattie when she's older (as my DS was). He's absolutely normal btw - 50th centile, sturdy and won't blow over in the wind. And absolutely gorgeous of course

'she is tap dancing though'

The worst are the random strangers who compare their grandchildren to yours 'of course he was sleeping through the night at two weeks, sitting up at two months, walking by six and speaking by eight'. Just smile sweetly and ignore, or you'll snap and tell them to bugger off and mid their own business.

Remember, for every idiotic comment, you get ten 'ahhhhhh, isn't she lovely!' comments to make up for it.

Dany - good on you. People are so rude.

Matana - I'd have gone ballistic. I'd not comment on someone's shoes let alone their child.

Frontpaw - ha ha, tap dancing! You have a good point. This is the first time and we have had squillions of comments about her smiling so much, being so engaging ect. Thank you for reminding me

No, but she can calculate square roots in her head

"She doesn't need to walk. She can fly."

It takes them at least a few seconds to work it out, by which time you're merrily on your way. :o

Sleepstarved my reply was Winston Churchill-esque: "He will lose his baby fat. You, on the other hand, will always be ugly."

one word - ignore

Coffin dodgers will always make these kinds of remarks. They don't always think before they speak, or they just think aloud.

I had a woman saying Ds was to old to be in a pram. He is only 2.5 and a small 2.5 so how she figures that to old anyway god knows. I did manage to shut her up by saying "I know, it's a shame he has such bad asthma he is unable to walk any distance"

Some people just like interfering!

Why invest so much in what random strangers think, or probably don't think, just speak before thinking??????

I'd bet every single parent has at one time or another had something similar said to them about their child by a total loon stranger. FGS don't give it another thought.

Ignore, Ignore, Ignore.

Paediatrician told me "it's as normal for a child to start walking at 20 months as it is for them to start walking at 10 months."

I am so glad he did as all mine were late walkers. DD was 22 months!! Then one day, I sat on the floor with her on my lap to put her shoes on, then when I had done it she just got up and strolled away. The next weekend she walked the whole way around a local stately home, wouldn't go in the buggy, insisted on pushing it etc.

It was great - we never had that "monster walk" phase or the "three steps crash bang wallop waaaaah! up again another three steps crash bang wallop waaaaah! - repeat x 1000" stage or the "I'm too tired to walk now so I'll just crawl down the street, what are you screeching at Mummy? dog shit? Where? Oh" stage. None are without their charm of course, particularly the Monster Walk but I quite liked missing them with DD.

Hip hop, I am supersensitive I know and I must try not to be. It hit a nerve because DD is only one in our NCT gang not walking.
Balloon, I love your paed and your DD!
Mine thinks she can walk because she is speedy holding on to our fingers, cue telling off from physio 'it's only recreational, it won't help her'. (I don't care, she likes it, emoticon)

Ignore ignore ignore, my DD didn't walk until 20 months so I had tons of those types of comments. There is always some stupid person somewhere ready to make them unfortunately.

Why can't random strangers learn the sentence "oh, isn't your little one gorgeous?" and smile! Or pipe down.

Are you sure she was sneering? I love seeing children in the wobbly walking phase!

Ds was 16 months walking as well, after being the first one to cruise, I was desperate! Actually it turned out to be a blessing that he walked "late" because he could at least understand basic instructions and had a tiny bit of sense by the time he was walking, so we never had any trouble with him.

people can make random comments, not realising how hurtful it is as a parent to hear.
Ignore+++++ all things in good time, as someone once told me, development is not a destination, its a journey.

sleepstarved what a horrible comment for her to make about your DD. She clearly has nothing better to do than pass judgement on strangers, so I certainly wouldn't take it seriously.

From anecdotal evidence, I have determined that kids can be walking from anywhere between 7-21 months and be deemed normal. Don't worry about it :)

BTW: DS1 (11mo) didn't even roll over until 8mo (nearly last of our NCT group to do it, although he's one of the oldest) and surged forward from that to crawling and walking in a short space of time. I think that once they 'decide' they're going places then it goes really fast!

Ignore! Last week I got "Christ, she's heavy!" when a mum at playgroup picked up my petite, 25th-and-always-has been-percentile DD.

The best one was an asian woman stopping me in the street to tell me that my baby was "COLD! SHE'S COLD!" If she'd had any more layers on she would have disappeared. Coat, mittens, hat, boots. She could only have been referring to DD's naturally pale, celtic tan because that was the only bit of flesh showing. Hrmph!

That's a pretty tame remark! people only make pointless comments to pass the time and older people tend to say things like that because they want to make conversation and may not realise it's something you're sensitive about. Dd often gets 'what a handsome chap' etc and I just politely correct and then discuss the merits of hair slides etc. If you're happy hat your dd is progressing normally then there's no need to worry. Life's too short.

Thank you all, I really must learn to let it slide.
Mewkins, I think that is the point - we have been worried and I guess this woman saying something made me worried that whatever is going on is 'showing' to the outside world now.
Must stop over thinking and over worrying, docs and physio are not overly concerned.
Sod the old biddies, she's my gorgeous, happy, smiley, bright little girl who will walk when she is good and ready.
:0

i agree with mewkins, it sounds to me like the woman was just making conversation,don't let it get to you, sounds like your DD is doing well and professionals aren't concerned. Not walking isn't an insult so don't be hurt by such comments :)