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!

Sadly no, they were never able to have children. You know, I think you may be right, but it's been lovely for me, for my dc just to be able to "go and tell..." when my folks aren't there for them to ring.

Lovely thread

The two that have made me cry most have been the two waiter ones - letting the DS 'pay' and bringing water for the bfing mum.

Back thats just so nice. At a time when they thought that GC would happen to everyone else, they happened upon some children that needed grandparents :)

the shop assistant who crawled across the floor with dd's christmas present so dd wouldn't see it when I was buying it at the till.

the woman who gave my kids £20 at an airport to 'buy a present for mummy because she has done a good job'. They were with evil ex. Lady, God sent you.

For years when my kids were growing up, the staff at my local cinema for saying 'don't worry, we'll look after them, you go and have a bit of time to yourself'. I lub you cinema people (and take my towering 6ft kids back to show them off)

The train drivers pulling into the station at Camberley always waved back at the DC as we stood on the footbridge, to a (wo)man.

When DD was a baby I could only have her in the pushchair for a short while before she'd lose it, so I always swapped her to the sling so I could get more done. I was struggling to get the pushchair on the bus with tiny dd in a sling, the pushchair fell over and I couldn't lift it up, and a group of very fancily dressed sullen Russian teenagers from the local language school were watching me struggling. A huge man came up behind me, scooped up the puschair, helped me sort myself out and then berated the teenagers about good manners, in such a way that they all looked very ashamed. I doubt they ever repeated not helping...

Our builders, who did two renovations on our house, knew I was trying to manage a house sale and move to Australia on my own with 2 little ones as DH had already gone; they appeared with their van unasked twice to move our rubbish for me and do any heavy lifting; our estate agent did the same, and helped me pack up.

And a big yes to all those on longhaul flights who help - I've done a lot of solo travel with small children and it makes a huge difference, as does a sympathetic cmile.

Firemen. They know that they're heroes to small boys and they always wave at DS when they drive past. The local ones will let small children boys on their fire engines too if they happen to be parked up somewhere without anything much to do.

Actually, anyone who takes the time to smile, wave, say something kind and friendly, make room when there isn't any, or just help to entertain a small person make my day. So often as a parent you're made to feel like your DC are in the way and a nuisance, so anyone who is kind, attentive and friendly is much appreciated.

The (several) people who came up to us on a school trip to London and asked if we were with the children in the red hats then just as we were about to ask Why? What have they done? would compliment us on how well they were behaving. On a 3 day residential trip with 40 9 year olds that really makes your day!

The lovely American man on the bus who heard Dd crying because she couldnt think of a story to tell her class today so told her all about someone he knows living in phoenix arizona and how they made a children's park and play area. No idea if it was true but dd happy

This tread has made me teary, and so grateful!

All of the above, including
Our local GAA coach 'Mat' (Ds hero) and all his teenage helpers who coache the under 4 's on saturday mornings - they have infinate patience and teach my kids invaluable life lessons as well as physical skills, (all for free) giving up their own time and morning to do so!....

P
lus our postman who lets ds collect the post and answer all his questions about iwhere the letters come from who sorts the mail, whats his favourite envelope to give to people etc

My neighbour and her older boys that ds idolises - for letting him tag along into their house and with their games when he clearly cant fully keep up and slows their game down. And always letting him feel like a superhero afterwards. I hope i can teach such kindness to ds !

The people who came up to me at a veyr posh wedding we were at recently where my children were the only children there and told me they were behaving impeccably.

To the lovely lovely lovely student midwife who sat with me the night before my induction with dd and told me it was normal to be nervous and upset and homesick and to want to be at home with ds and it wasnt 'ridiculous' like another, more experienced midwife had said.

One on behalf of my friend: the lady who came to her aid when she was trying to get her tantrumming toddler into his pushchair. She appeared at her side and said 'If you hold him down I'll do the straps up for you.' Sometimes you just need practical help, not sympathetic looks.

'I think, for ten minutes, we filled each other's gaps.'
I'd managed to jut about hold myself together until that, now I'm sobbing.

The nurses at GP surgery, when potty training DD and I took potty with us to appointment. When DD did a wee in potty they all cheered and clapped and showed all the other nurses (and patients!) who made a huge fuss. DD was so proud of herself!

Oh god...

I never ever forget the long haul flight on my own with DS1, aged 1, who had a tantrum for hours and hours and Would.Not.Sleep, they had switched off the lights in the entire plane for people to sleep apart from our part, as DS kept screaming and screaming. The stewardesses did not know what to do, other than keep on bringing me coffee, which I accepted so as not to seem ungrateful...

EVERYONE was watching me and waiting for me to, somehow, calm him down. Some people started tutting and sighing (can't blame them). Those 9 hours seemed to last for ever. At one point I just put him in the baby seat crying, and I sat down to have a coffee, I was trying to hold it together. The old lady behind me put her hand on my shoulder and said: "You are doing a good job, don't worry"

I just nodded at her, as I was fighting back the tears.

I thought everyone just wanted to shoot me, so it did help me calm down (despite having had 6 coffees).

DS did not sleep for the entire flight though...

can I nominate the lady for a medal though.

The lovely riverboat driver who let my DD drive/steer the boat on my birthday last year - it made her day (it also slowed down the other passengers who were also on the boat but no one seemed to mind ) He also saw how cold i was and stopped the boat at an unchartered stop so i could run and get a hot drink at a cafe there.

Numerous other stories of kind strangers who have bought chocolate/given money or compliments to my DD, it always makes our day as well as theirs.

Thank you scented. I didn't ever think how hard it would be raising children so far from my own mother. Yesterday I got a glimpse of how it cuts both ways.

My amazing friends I've made through DS, who have been there for me this last year through another Hyperemisis pg, crash cs, DH redundancy, new baby haze and illness. They are what makes my previous post bearable.

When DD1 was a toddler, our central heating broke down. DH was away on business (of course!) and it was unseasonably cold for May. We also found out that our immersion heater didn't work, so no hot water. I'd been using our open fire to heat the living room. On the day my cleaning lady came, she not only did all her usual tasks, she also cleaned out the fire and laid a new one so that all I had to do when I came home from work was put a match to it. And she left me a note saying her husband had come round to try and fix the immersion but unfortunately he couldn't.

I miss my cleaning lady (she retired just before DD3 was born).

oh, what a sweetie Poledra!!

these are so lovely...makes me smile...

The hairdresser who got her assistant to hold and walk my 8 wk old baby and set my 5 yo up with her own trolley of hair things to sort out so I could get my hair done in peace. It had been a v rough few days/weeks and her kindness gave me a much-needed boost. Thank you thank you

the shop assistant who crawled across the floor with dd's christmas present so dd wouldn't see it when I was buying it at the till. that's a nice memory to have

I also remember at the end of a long flight, 2 flight attendants rushing up to me and saying, oooh we heard there was a gorgeous baby down here, we've been dying to have a look. Lots of oh and ahs then, "we're not allowed to carry her but can we carry your bags? Then we can keep looking at her."

Was just so generous and lovely.

Oh, she is indeed, springy. She lives near me, and still keeps my keys and looks after the house when we go away.

During the same Great Heating/Hot Water Crisis, my lovely CM also offered to bath DD1 at her house. Her teenage son actually did the bathing, and the CM said she didn't know who'd had more fun

Boots in Maidenhead and in particular a sales assistant called Petra.

I was out with my 4 children when the eldest who was 6 fell and split open his chin and knocked out a tooth. Boots took us in (with all 4 screaming children) rang the ambulance then let them stitch my son's chin right on the shop floor (one of their assistants fainted at the sight of all the blood) while Petra took my other 3 children (4,3, 18months) off to play games and play with all the kids toys. We had only just moved out of London and so I knew noone so they looked after us all - amazing - if we had still been in London Boots would have given us a plaster and charged us for it.

thank god for Maidenhead Boots and Petra - you were all amazing!!!