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!

Another vote for classics.

The lady who let my friends kid pat her dog after I explained to her he was scared but wanted to make friends we were there for half an hour and he's not scared of dogs anymore.

All the midwives I have met who helped me during the birth of my daughter.

DS was playing in goal for his Saturday football team. They lost about 8-0 and a lovely man went over to him and told him that there was nothing he could do without decent defenders in front of him and gave him a pound. Thank you

I also think this works both ways though. DH went to Seattle recently. He always finds the long haul flights boring but this time he was sitting next to a three year old boy who was travelling with his mum and baby sister. DH and and the boy chatted about dinasours and played silly games until the boy fell asleep. He said the child's mother kept asking if her son was annoying him but DH said it was the quickest flight he'd ever known.

Am officially sobbing at this thread - so nice to have faith in human spirit restored!

The people you briefly love when you have children.

the midwife who told me that "really, all my girls get on famously with gas and air- just try it"

The student who was working in a toy shop last Christmas who complimented me on how polite my dc were. Usually they're the ones misbehaving, so it was extra lovely that she took a moment to recognise how polite they were even though it was really busy.

This is such a lovely thread - thanks OP
Yes, Yes, Yes, to so many of these - particularly I think the ones where a stranger takes the moment to compliment you or your children on their behaviour.
As they get older, the volunteers who give so much time so your dc can have a great time - be that Scouts, Guides, sports clubs, music, drama, youth club, whatever . Thank you to you all.
Also, the other parents who don't mind picking up / dropping off your dc when you just can't manage it, and it enables them to go to something they wouldn't be able to, otherwise.

The man (and his staff) who ran the cafe we used to go in every week after tumbletots - he would great us like family, knew what 'the usual' order was and after meal made a fuss of DD (very shy child) as she went and paid (real money - she wanted to and she learnt about change etc very early age) Would give her Choc etc at Christmas etc. Sounds like nothing but DD loved it. Trouble is she won't go in there now as she is embarrassed he will recognise the 3 yo her in the grown up 13 yo she is now :o

The play leader at play group we used to go to everyweek who was so lovely and patient with DD who was (and is) arty but didn't like to get 'messy' - some people including me would have given up but she kept encouraging DD to join in.

Lady that lives on the route to primary school who we used to 'bump into' walking her two dogs - one large and one small - DD loves dogs but we had elderly cat when DD was little so didn't feel we could get one. Lady also gave DD some cuddly dogs when 'having a clear out' to match her two dogs IYSWIM

Lovley teacher DD had in YR1 who really understood her - DD wanted her to be her other Mum - Teacher very kindly and gently pointed out that DD was still having problems with stairs which we hadn't noticed and we then worked on this with DD.

Another brilliant (male) teacher DD had Yr6 who again 'got her' and recommended her for a extra curricular course the school normally only offered to those struggling academically - he could see it would boost her confidence (he was right) He also persuaded her she had the ability to get into grammar - again he was right.

DDs ballet teacher for giving her a certificate for learning to skip - it is still on her wall 10 years later :)

I echo you Morecats with loving all the dog walkers who patiently stop so dc can pet their pooch whilst they are out walking as neither dc are scared of dogs now

I'm such an emotional person or maybe its the entire bottle of pinot grigio in under an hour but my eyes are certainly leaking at some of these!

I'm one of the rare childless people on here but I try to do my best if I see someone struggling. This week's have been picking up the other end of a buggy when someone was trying to get down the steps outside the shops when I was trying to control a wayward trolley on a main road myself (proper chin on the floor moment from the mummy that I'd done that), and a little guy in the lift in our apartment block who every time someone gets in, insists on pressing the button for them. I'm ok, I'm on the 4th floor and he can just about stretch to that, but another bloke wanted to go to a higher floor and he was jumping up, so instead of pressing the button, I picked him up so he could press it. His little face lit up, and the mum again was gobsmacked that someone would do that probably gobsmacked that someone in proper power suit, stilettoes, looking quite scary and businessy, on the phone arguing about contractual terms with someone, and one of the few childless women in the building would play along with the kids I try, and I hope it helps

The waitress in the pub where we went for my sister's birthday lunch. DSis had taken 12 week old DD for a walk to stop her crying (I'm disabled and can't walk far). When our food arrived before she got back, she put DSis's food on the hot plate to keep it warm, then went outside in the rain to find DSis and tell her lunch was ready.

The lady in the supermarket at tea-time who gave my then 3 year old DD a pound after discovering it was her first day being dry all day.

The poor, poor man who waved endlessly and smiling, to both DD's when he was stuck behind us in a traffice queue for about 4 miles.

What a fabulous thread, have been in tears several times

YY to lovely dog walkers. DD always asks, 'Is this a strokey doggy?' I don't want her to be scared of dogs, but I don't want her to charge at them either. Thank you to all the lovely walkers who say 'yes, this is a strokey doggy, well done for asking', and then stop and let DD have a great time patting their dog.

To the butcher in supermarket who located DD toy in the deep freeze(she has a good arm on her for a 2 yr old)

All the lovely checkout people who 'beep' my DD's toy with shopping at the till.

Mine are a long time ago as my son is grown up now.
The lovely bar staff in Maxwells at Covent Garden who let him "work" behind the bar, adding the ice to drinks and fetching straws etc, they gave him one of their baseball caps and let him mix himself a cocktail of fruit juice for his wages.
The lovely manager of Maxwells, who recognised my son six months later and asked if he was working again, it made his day, and made mine that someone would remember in such a busy place in London after all that time.
Tottenham fans who always made sure I could get through the crowds safely with my (3 year old) son, and clapped him when he sang "We beat the scrun 3-1"!
Two very nice older children on a long train journey who drew pictures with him, let him play on their Gameboy and generally adopted him for the entire journey.
My teenage nephew's friends, who always treated him like one of their mates, rather than a little kid.

The lady who helped me negotiate the icy streets when DS1 insisted on going to his music class Christmas party. DS2 was in his car seat and we had to negotiate those horrible frozen snow drifts which end up at the side of the road after the snow plough has been.

So many you have made me start a whole load of reminiscing.. The lovely outdoor bar staff who let ds 4 sit on a stool, made him a cocktail with umbrellas, a plastic monkey hanging off, twizzles off orange zest and a twirly straw, then listen to him chat (for a long long time) told him he was a very handsome, grown up, interesting boy he was walking on air. Or the man in Spain who chad round looking for same ds irreplaceable toy dog found it and tracked us down just as we were boarding our plane.

What a wonderful thread - thank you OP! I haven't had time to read them all but it's heartwarming to hear of so many lovely people out there and the small kindnesses which mean so much to us mums (and dads).

I'd like to add my thanks to all the First Great Western train drivers who have waved energetically and (almost always) tooted the train horn to DD when she waved at them. And the passengers who waved too.

The builder's assistant got the DCs mixing up a bucket of mortar and showed them how to point brickwork (not to mention letting them help set posts in concrete). Then left some spare mortar for them to carry on all afternoon.

More people in Turkey than I can mention personally who made going there with a baby and a fraught two year old a joy.

The guards on our local train line who always upgrade people with young children/buggies to first class if there is room and the rest of the train is packed.

The consultant who used forceps on me, and landed me with a third degree tear (with several students watching on). All I could cry was, "Thankyou so much doctor, thankyou" and even considered naming my dc after him. Madness, I tell ya!

thanks a bunch everyone! This had had me blubbing. I am pregnant with my first so it is lovely to read about all the kindness there is out there. Also, I am deeply reassured to know that my faces, smiles and inane chatter with other people's children is valued rather than marking me out as a freak. I do remember once though when I stuck my tongue out at a wee boy looking very bored on a train. He grinned and stuck his tongue back out at me. This went on until his mum caught him and gave him a big telling off for being rude

The receptionists at A&E at Lewisham hospital, who let me wait in a room by myself and sent me in to the dr as soon as they could. DS1 was in NICU and I'd developed an infection after the birth, but no-one in the maternity or baby wards would treat me because I wasn't admitted - we had been transferred there from another hospital. I had to walk the miles of corridor and find the A&E by myself, after a 48 hour labour. The receptionists were horrified, and kind. It meant a great deal to me during a very bad time.

Oh, good luck with everything crisps - lots to look forward to

Ollywollydoodle, your post sprang tears to my eyes and made 2yo DD ask 'why you sad, mummy?'. How lovely of that lady.

For me, it was the mum who let DD bump up next to her little boy and watch his Fireman Sam DVD on a packed and bumpy flight last year.

Also my lovely elderly neighbour, who has no family at all. She heard DD being excited about going swimming with her daddy one day, then for her birthday sellotaped £2 to a card "for swimming" and bought her a Peppa Paig swimming bag (which she adores). You are lovely.

Our old window cleaner, who used to chat to dd1 whilst cleaning our windows when she was a toddler, and spend ages letting her climb up his ladder, before telling her that she was the most beautiful girl in Manchester

The fireman who was doing a safety check at swimming recently and showed DS round his fire engine.

The librarian who put aside books about fire fighters for us.

The eBay user who.listed a brand new fire engine t shirt in DS's size and favorite colour, with a Buy It Now.

There's a theme here...