The people you briefly love when you have children.

[Psammead]

Because they make your or your children's day.

I was thinking about this today when DD was waving madly at a bus driving by, and a woman waved back. Thank-you, woman. DD was very happy.

So.

1. People who wave from busses/trains etc
2. People in shops who give your children something free (balloons, slice of luncheon meat, bit of deformed criossant etc)
3. People who smile/wave/make funny faces/chat to your child in a queue, or on a bus, train, plane etc.

You are all brilliant human beings. Add to the list!

The lovely group of 18-22 year old men who sat infront of us (including a talkative 6 and 3 year old and a 4 month old baby) on our way to Ibiza last summer. Not sure it was the start to their holiday they had planned but they amused elder dds and shared their sweets

The lovely assistant at Clintons who gave dd2 and dd3 free balloons while she was making up a display for me

The server at my local M&S cafe who made me sit down with dd2 and dd3 (then a few months old) asked what I would like, brought everything over to me, complete with crayons etc

And finally dd1 and dd2 and I both fell a little bit in love with Andy from CBeebies when we bumped into him a few years and he stopped and spoke to the girls when they rather loudly shouted his name in the street

I always wave at children when I'm in the car/bus
I also ride up to the primary school gate on my horse when they all see me ride past and scream 'horse'. The horse sticks his head over and they all stroke him then wave and wave until I am out of sight

The lady on the virgin pendalino train many years ago who, upon seeing DS's Thomas the Tank Engine jumper chatted to him about trains and asked if he'd like to go into the 'cockpit'.

The driver who let DS 'drive' the train.

Oops slightly misunderstood the thread there sorry, supposed to be other people not me!

Ikea has a creche. Just found out.

I'm in tears here!

The waiter at a pizza place in town who calls DD 'principessa' and always says it makes his day when she goes in to see him. He also whispered to my 2 year old (you're my favourite)

The bin men who wave at DD when they pick up our bin

The lovely local independent shoe shop locally, who, finally found some shoes with lights to fit DS's v narrow feet! (I think they are vile, but he adores them).

Whoever designed the Antilop highchair.

The elderly couple at the farm shop this afternoon, who chatted to me and complemented my about my children because they were about the same ages as their grandchildren. They said that their grandchildren live a few hundred miles away. I said so did my mother. Turns out they live quite close to each other. I think, for ten minutes, we filled each other's gaps.

All the old ladies who told me how gorgeous DS was as a baby (and put silver coins in his buggy for luck) thank you.

The painter and decorator doing our hall/stairs who gave ds his OWN brush and let him "help" - and tidied up his efforts after! Made a 3 year old so happy.

Our local rotary club who do an amazing Santa on his sleigh tour of the village every year complete with lights and music, all the kids faces, just magical.

The passing lady traffic warden who, when confronted with spectacularly tantrumming ds refusing to bend his legs to sit in the tesco trolley making me nearly weep with frustration, just said "right young man, enough of that, you sit down and be a good boy for your mummy" HE DID with no further fuss I think he thought she was a policewoman!!

Ds first time on an aeroplane aged nearly 5, got to go in the cockpit and push some of the buttons that make the plane fly!!!! Small boy heaven. Oh and same trip the customs man who joked around with ds and even put his buzz light year thru the X-ray machine to show him how it worked, thank you, made a looooong wait much easier.

The lady in our local shop,who always remembers his name and speaks to him rather than just to me, gave him a free ice cream on the holidays and found and kept his toy he left behind and returned it to me,

that just reminded me of when I was pushing DD in a pram as a newborn and a homeless guy was admiring her and gave me a few pennies for luck. I told him there was no need but he insisted 'because it's what you do when someone has a baby'. I was so touched

The teachers who have made a special effort to come and tell me something that they delighted in over one of my children and wanted to share it with me. And the ones who have cared enough about them to take extra time to do something that they don't have to do, but they know it will still help in some way.

The people at the Indian restaurant round the corner who give DD extra chocolates with the bill for being so "polite and charming".

Unfortunately, when we go now she draws them pictures telling them how much she loves them because "they might give me even more chocolate".

So charming!

People who let your child pet their well behaved dog.

A very smart, slightly scary older lady saw me standing in the middle of the zebra crossing whilst then 2 year old DS had the mother of all tantrums, laden with shopping while people honked their horns at me. She took my shopping so I could pick up DS, helped me to the car, and then chatted until I'd calmed down. She told me as we said goodbye that this would pass, and to make sure I peeped in at him that night as seeing him asleep would remind me he wasnt really devil spawn.

To a woman just starting to see the light after 18 months of PND,she was angelic.

to the vicar who said if anyone so much as raised an eyebrow to me breastfeeding in Church when my baby was hungry I should send them to him

to the lady on the till in sainsbury's who when my 4 yr old asked her if she had a 'penis or vagina?' looked him straight in the eye and said 'vagina and I also have small children' totally stole his thunder!

I whole heartly agree with the garden thing - makes me want to put some in our front garden when I think of all the items we have benefited from

and finally to the shop assistant the other day who completmented my children on their behaviour

The man at our local garden centre who rushed over with his first aid kit when DS got a nosebleed (entirely his own fault for headbutting his brother...), calmed him down, sat him on his lap until the nosebleed stopped, then directed us to the cafe so he could eat ice cream to make him feel better.

The woman who said 'It really does get better' when I was in tears in the local woods with DS1 who would just not stop crying. It was just what I needed.

Another one I have remembered:

The man in our local costcutter who always makes a fuss of DD, asks her about her day and listens intently to her witterings about who her latest BFF is and what homework she has to do, so that I can shop in peace. The day before Mothers' Day this year, he took DD aside and let her choose a card from their selection for free. He put it in her bookbag and instructed her to write it out when we got home and hide it in her bedroom until the following day, which was exactly what she did. She was delighted to be able to give me a 'proper' Mothers' Day card alongside her homemade one, it brought a tear to my eye.

What lovely stories and generous people

I've just remembered the Waitrose Delivery men who called me to find out how snowy it was at the top of the hill I live on as they had my shopping in their van. I told them they weren't likely to make it up - My MW had just cancelled my homebirth because she couldn't get the kit up the hill in her car so I was going to call an ambulance to try to get to hospital. 40 minutes later there was a knock on the door. Three of them walked up the hill with the whole lot.

They left very quickly when they realised I was in labour. It must have been my shite joke about delivery men and the lack of ambulance.

Lovely men.

Our lovely neighbourhood postman who stops and waves/chats to my DSs every morning on the school run, and who delivers bits of clothing we've dropped out of the pram back to our house on his way home! It really makes their day that he knows who they are and is so cheery.

The young waiter (16?) who spotted me breastfeeding and brought me over a large glass of iced water "Because my Mum always gets dead thirsty when she feeds my little sister".

Another young waiter in local garden centre cafe who actually keeps PECS symbols next to the till so that any youngsters with ASD can choose for themselves.

Steve Backshall for providing hours of educational entertainment and for being so bloody lovely when DC's met you for real.

Best thread on here for ages by the way, for you OP.

Loving this!

The woman on a crowded commuter platform as my day in town with 4 week old, tongue tied and constantly feeding ds, unraveled as all the trains were delayed. The platform got more and more full and then he woke. I had to get him out of the buggy to soothe him and a train promptly arrived with no notice. I felt so helpless, knowing I couldn't make it work solo. She looked at me, got hold of the buggy and said "I've got this, you've got the baby, go go go!". She pushed us on then offered to push through to get me a seat as well (declined as easier to jiggle and stand). I think I'd still be there without her. I got to pay that one forward on the tube earlier this year and that felt good.

The staff in our vets that let ds in and introduce him to all the animals in cages and let me surreptitiously weigh him on the dog scales...!

Anyone that makes magic happen for him/helped me when harassed, sleep deprivation deranged and bumping into things/buggy lifting/generally cheers up the world.

I have a lovely one.

When DS was about 4 he had both legs in plaster as part of his treatment. I was having a very bad day as a couple of old biddies had said, infront of me, "girls like that shouldnt be allowed to have children". I was 21 and they must have assumed I had allowed him, or caused him, to be seriously injured.

So, he was hungry and v stroppy because he was bored and fed up of being in a chair all the time, and I was struggling with him. We went to a cafe and he didnt want what I had bought him (depsite him asking for it), and then an elderly chap on the next table started moaning at his wife who was pretending to be cross, that he didnt want his lunch and pretending to have a strop and pulling "You and me both, mate" faces at DS who was giggling and giggling, and ate his lunch! After those horrible women it really made my day :)

I still love that man and his wife 17 years later, they were just wonderful :)

My elderly neighbours who have spent 9 years "being there" for my dcs (my parents both died when dcs were young) - just listening when they went over to show them a tooth had fallen out or that they'd got a certificate in assembly or whatever, and making my dcs feel that their 'news' was the best thing in the world that day.

The police woman at Buckingham palace who took DD and her friend (asking us first) to the very front of the crowded pavements and sat them down and them watched over them so that they could have the best view of the trooping of the colour. DD is horse obsessed and it was the highlight for her of our London trip!

The people at the corner shop who talk to D every time even though they know she is non-verbal and are totally delighted if she smiles back once in a blue moon.

Aw thats lovely Back :)

Do your neighbours have GC or GGC that they see? I am sure they get as much out of it as your DC do :)