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Original poster

Stupid Things Non Parents have said to you

66 replies

Pennypocket · 10/04/2004 11:08

I know there is already a thread on this somewhere bt I can't find it so thought I would start another.

A 19 year old girl I sit near at work has just turned to me and another Mum and said the only reason why some newborn babies wake in the night is because they are not being fed properly in the day. I informed her when she decides to have kids she will be in for the shock of her life. I have never met anyone whos newborn didn't wake in the night - does that mean everyone I have met including myself is guilty of neglect??!!!!

OP posts:
bossykate · 10/04/2004 11:10

no - non-parents are clueless.

coppertop · 10/04/2004 11:12

Ds2 has really curly hair. When he was 9mths old someone asked me quite seriously if I'd had his hair permed. Why (or even HOW) would anybody give a 9mth-old boy a perm FFS????

WideWebWitch · 10/04/2004 11:16

Agree with bk.

Beetroot · 10/04/2004 11:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

bossykate · 10/04/2004 11:37

or, "i am sooooo busy" ha!

monkeygirl · 10/04/2004 11:44

I'm a SAHM and get ever so slightly pi**ed off when I'm asked by non-parents how I am enjoying my long holiday!!! Yeah right I spend all day reading, sunbathing, drinking cocktails, occasionally playing with my angel child who mostly entertains/dresses/feeds herself.

prufrock · 10/04/2004 11:48

My brother (23, student, living rent free in house parents bought for him, lovely girlfriend) called me (8 months pregnant, got obstetric cholestasis, just moved house, toddler to look after) to tell me he'd just been to doctors and she'd said he'd got low level stress and should do yoga.
I think he was expecting sympathy from me

eddm · 10/04/2004 12:04

And how do you find parenthood? As if I'm going to say a. turn left at the lights or b. Oh, I really really hate it. Doh!

eddm · 10/04/2004 12:06

And a wierd one... not sure this is stupid but a bit non-plussed as since I've been back at work several colleagues have said 'you look really serene' or 'you look very together for a new parent'. Huh? Think it's a compliment but do they think I'm supposed to turn up with baby sick on my jacket and my hair not brushed to qualify as a parent? As you all know, it does take some effort to look OK for work before you get out of the house...

eddm · 10/04/2004 12:07

Sigh.. weird, obviously.

Angeliz · 10/04/2004 13:06

My sister works in a clothes shop with a young girl aged 19.
She told me the other day that this girl has said she'd love to be a fly on the wall in my house, wonders what i do all day, thinks i live like Victoria Beckham!!!!!!!!!!!
WHAT THE F*!!!

(I have a 3 year old dd!)

Now i REALLY wanna be around when that girl has a baby

sassy · 10/04/2004 14:19

Is she good?
What DO they mean when they say that, especially about a newborn?!

OldieMum · 10/04/2004 14:37

There was a thread on the meaning of 'is she good?' a while ago.

OldieMum · 10/04/2004 14:39

To me when on maternity leave, from a fellow academic 'What are you writing at the moment'?

Issymum · 10/04/2004 14:52

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request

jodiemay · 10/04/2004 15:23

I know this thread is for non-parent comments but this one is a corker! My mother in law told me that her 2 kids were potty trained by the time they were a year......do people really forget what it's like when you have children or do they have to make things up to make their kids seem superior or indeed themselves!

hercules · 10/04/2004 15:24

I can top that JodieMay - mil said she pottytrained sils ds's at 3 months. On further questioning it seemed she meant holding a potty underneath them!

jodiemay · 10/04/2004 15:25

Do mil's just have a given knack of trying to make you feel like s*e!!!!

Grommit · 10/04/2004 15:31

not only mils - my mother would have me believe that I was a perfect child who slept all the time and was fully potty trained by 18 months - now of course my children behave perfectly for her and only play up when I come on the scene - OH I am such a bad mother! AGHHH

collision · 10/04/2004 15:47

A non parent said to me 'Why dont you let ds help you with the decorating????'

I think I should let ds help her when she decorates. DS is 2 yrs old.

israel · 10/04/2004 15:51

....havn't had time to fully read all the posts on this.....but here is mine....If I mention anything negative...you know like there is loads of stuff everyday...then I get...."eh!..kids...who'd have em!!"....and these are usually from folk...who I know have been trying for ages to have one!!!!...in my head I have this answer all the time....Well I know you would, for one....but always bite my tongue!!

hercules · 10/04/2004 15:52

Not a non parent but a childminder when I was considering going back to work with ds at 4 months. She asked if he wanted a digestive to eat as in a whole biscuit to give to him! He was barely managing pureed carrots.

Grommit · 10/04/2004 15:54

Haercules - I assume you didn't leave your ds with her!!!

hercules · 10/04/2004 15:55

Funnnily enough no.

hercules · 10/04/2004 16:01

Actually what about things that potential carers have said to you that made you run a mile?

One cm said they come in after school and sit down to watch tv until they are picked up and there they were 4 kids transfixed to the tv.

One nursery said all 2 years olds are sat in front of the tv for 30 mins to watch teletubbies everyday- well our ds didnt even like sodding eletubbies.

Another "nursery" left 30 kids ranging from 2-4 in a large hall with no staff and only dh and me whilst they went into the office etc. The kids ran around manically! I went to the loos to get a staff member to see sais staff lierally pulling a child by its arm off the toilet.
The fireescape doors were being propped open by binbags nicely blocking the way. Never heard of ofsed either. Were actually very cheap....
We phoned ss who paid a surprise visit on them and then gave them 30 days to shut or else.