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!

[Mrsjay]

I dont have little children anymore but i wave speak to make funny faces at children on buses etc , Its great fun i loved it when people spoke to mine they were great , I also had a nursery nurse tell me i was doing a grand job with DD1 , i was young when i had her , was nice to hear i was doing an ok job

[issynoko]

When I was about 10 I was on a train with my mum and she was listening to another mother talking with great patience and interest to her very chatty and curious little boy. When we got off the train my mum said to her "I love the way you talk to your son and answer his questions. Not enough people give their children the time and I wanted to say I think you are a lovely mother and doing a great job." It probably stuck in my head then because I was embarrassed about mum talking to her but now I have 4 children my mum is dead. I try very hard to be like that mother we met on the train and always have time for their tumble of questions because I love my children and think they are worth the time. But also because that encounter taught me about patience, about the importance of complimenting people and because I have never had my mum's support in life - she died as I became a mother - I hear her voice saying "you're doing a good job" and I know she would have reason to say it to me too. I wish I'd had the chance to say it to her.

[RowanMumsnet]

Hi there,

We've moved this one to Classics now

MNHQ xx

[NorksAreMessy]

three hips and a hooray for RowanMN

[Dancergirl]

The lovely butcher who delivered my meat (when he said originally he wouldn't be able to manage a delivery that week) after he heard that dd3 was ill with a severe tummy bug and we were going backwards and forwards to the hospital.

I love these stories!

[springydaffs]

It was in Boots that the shop assistant crawled across the floor to hide dd's christmas present (see above). Yay Boots

[thekitchenfairy]

I love this thread for making me laugh and cry and generally agree with many of the OPs, especially cafe, teenager and buggy stories. My own personal fave is the lady who brought a chocolate bar each for 2yo DS2 and me after he had been pushed over as he helped me choose our groceries. When I told the lady it was his first time 'helping' and he hadn't meant to get in her way, she gave me a mouthful and whacked me with her walking stick. Shoppers and staff looked on and did nothing and I broke down at the till. A lovely old lady toddled out after us saying that in her day she would have offered me a brandy but that might not be the done thing these days so perhaps chocolate would help us both after such a nasty shock. It did! :)

[RainySmallHands]

The paediatric nurse who helped me with the huge milking machine when DD1 was readmitted at 2 days old and everything was so new and scary and uncertain.

The old chap on the bus who handed me some tissue when, on one of my very first public transport forays with 2DC, I was busy hoiking DD1 into a seat, and DD2 had candles of snot streaming down her face.

The lovely man in our local library who always chats to DD1 and asks her if she'd like to stamp her own book, even though she is too shy to speak to him.

The man last week who spotted DD1 eyeing up his British bulldog and came over to us at the bus stop so she could have a stroke. Made her day and made us nearly miss the bus.

Such a lovely thread...

[ajourneyofgiraffes]

I'll never forget being in one of those winding once you get in with a trolley or pushchair you can't get out type queues. I realised I had forgotten to pick up bread and must have berated myself loudly, so the two ladies behind me offered to watch my weeks old DS whilst I went and got it. I took two steps and turned back, apologising that I couldn't leave DS. Instead of thinking I was being all PFBish, they said I was right, a good mom, and one of the ladies ran and picked up the bread for me. Lovely, lovely ladies.

[LibrarianAli]

Hi,

I'm (hopefully) one of the people who tries to make your kids smile. I love letting little ones scan the books or use the stamp - it brightens up my day a treat to see them smile. We also have a stash of stickers under the Library Counter for when small people are Very Good (or just a bit grumpy and need cheering up)

So Thanks to you for having such lovely children and letting me talk to them and for not thinking I'm a crazy lady for smiling at your baby. It makes not having any of my own so much more bearable.

[insanityscratching]

The lady in the co op who waited whilst I talked down my son with autism as he had his 500th meltdown of the day and sensed I was at the end of my tether.Just so she could touch my arm and tell me she worked with autism and what she saw told her I was a fantastic mum to my son. She propped me up that day.
The man in Wimpy who remembered exactly how ds liked his food and served him first with no questions and would reserve him his own favourite table.
His teacher in yr4 who despite being an NQT was aspirational and inspirational for ds and made his life as easy as possible by being flexible and intuitive.
The lady in the paper shop who didn't mention the price increase on his choolate to ds and allowed him to pay the old price without a blink because she knew he wouldn't cope with the change.

[Dancergirl]

librarianali you sound lovely

Where's your library?

[NatureandNurture]

What a lovely thread.
Mine were the lovely Paediatrician who brought in a handwritten birthday card for my DS when he spent his first birthday in hospital.
The kind Paramedics who gave me a nebuliser in the ambulance when I was accompanying a very sick DS and feeling awful myself!
And the gorgeous Ponseti Nurses who were so sensitive and kind when we arrived with 10day old DS to start his treatment & bawled the whole way through it!
Apart from that, my lovely DSis & BIL who are fantastic godparents and always make such a fuss over DS despite being busy with their own three!

[Windandsand]

I am a tremendous waver to children and back in my horsey days used to stop and chat and if riding a quiet one offer a ride if they wanted:)

The policewoman who came to our house making door to door enquiries- ds nearly exploded with excitement. She spent ages answering his questions:)

our postie, who for 4 years now has agreed to be known as "Pat" lets ds look in his bag and even overlooked my reversing into his van.

took ds to michelin* restaurant when he was about 18months at lunchtime on a monday, figuring it would be quiet. very old grand couple already seated and into their starter looked like they were about to faint.. ds charmed everyone as usual, even trying our food, and they came over at the end and aplogised for the hard stares when we came in.

anyone on flights or at airports who is kind and doesn't push in (yes, your horrible man at the queue at virgin, and the hostie let him! in a hurry, apparently! like i was enjoying standing travelling alone with a toddler and a baby.

feel a bit cheerful after this thread. kind of uplifting...

[TheGreatScootini]

Our bin men who used to wave at the DD's and eventually let them in the cab of the bin wagon and allowed them to push the button to make the recycling thingy go.They still talk about it now, 3 years later :)

[Windandsand]

just remembered being alone as dh was abroad working and desparately needing a haircut, any haircut. Rang all salons explaining would come in anytime but would have to bring dc's as knew no one as new to area. one finally agreed, so brought lots of toys etc. just had hair washed when dc's wnet crazy running round playing (2 and 4) owner walked in, shouted at me, hairdresser said its ok, she said this would happen but its before opening... i left in tears no haircut.

nice stylist chased me down street, and came to my house after kids went to bed, did my hair AND WOULDN'T TAKE ANY MONEY....

[BrianCoxhasSmellySox]

aw, it made it into Classics - well done OP and everyone else!

[Vickiplum79]

The lovely landlady who seeing me tentatively walk into her pub served me, told me to sit down and brought over my drink and a large glass of water. On her way back she loudly said how lovely it was I was BFing and if anyone thought different to see her! I was 18 DD was 2 weeks old and it gave me the confidence to keep going.

[revolutionconfirmed]

I'm not sure what they're called but the people who paint themselves metallic and stand there completely freakishly still? There was a man doing that today and he really made DD's day.

[pamplemousse]

The bank nurse who came and sat with me while I sobbed when dd was born by emc and would not breast feed, the others were very busy but not very kind, she was amazing. Ditto the NCT lady who came to my house when dd was a week old and still not feeding properly, I was a complete state, but she told me I was looking amazing and doing so well, utter rubbish but I believed it at the time and it made all the difference.

Secondly the eccentric gentleman in the supermarket the other day who gave my dd 50p because she was being so helpful to me.

And in Waitrose an assistant called Lara who whenever she sees dd stops whatever shes doing to come and say hi. This was after the first time we met her I was in a total flap, stbxdh having just walked out and dd was whining, she just took her to the front of the shop got her some green tokens and sat and chatted to her until i had shopped, paid and packed! Lovely lady :)

[DublinDoll]

The lovely guy in our local pet store who lets the kids hold bunnies, hamsters, mice and even snakes when we go to buy fish food.

[TitsalinaBumSquash]

I'm really happy to read this thread, I've had the most amazing support from people during the trial and tribulations of parenting.
I've sat sobbing a million miles from home in a strange hospital when Ds1 has been ill and there is usually a kind nurse or parent that will give me a hug and a cup of tea.

I'm also glad that parents don't mind us loons chatting to their kids, I was at the hospital the other day and was chatting to a lovely young lass in a wheelchair, she was non verbal but could communicate with gestures and facial expressions. When her DM went into her apt her DF stayed behind and said a thank you to me for talking to her as most people are a big worried about what to say/do because she has SN.
It hadn't occurred to me to not talk to her! So I'm glad it's appreciated.

[thanksamillion]

All the people here (in Moldova) who unfailingly wave anyone with small children to the front of the queue - in the bank, doctors, customs, airport even shops. I don't know what I'll do when I'm back in the UK and have to wait!

The waitress in a pizza place in Romania who took and played with DS (who was about a year old) so that we could enjoy our meal.

[MILdesperandum]

My midwife who saw me through both pregnancies. At first we didn't get on well and I found her old fashioned and stand offish. She must have realised how scared I was when I had my second whilst my first was still young. She told me I was doing great and to take it one day at the time. I broke down in tears and still remember her advice when we have difficult moments