Really upsetting letter

[agaazaa]

I am not normally upset by such things as other peoples letters, but today in the Travel section of the Times under Readers Rants - someone has written in complaining about a flight they were on for 3 1/2 hours and it was ruined by children either behaving badly (ie like children) or screaming. This has really upset me. Travelling with children is really difficult and quite stressful, but travel does broaden their little minds.

Did anyone else see this letter? Should I respond? I don't like to get into a slanging match about it, and think most parents who read it will respond anyhow.

!!!

I took my ds's to the museum the other day, we stoped for a drink in the coffee shop.
The boys were chattering about what they had seen and asking insesent questions, as most 4year olds do. An older man on the next table, scouled at us over his glasses, as he seemed to be trying to do some paper work.
I felt like telling him to p*off and do it somewhere more private, if he did not want to be desturbed

Janh, that is APPALLING. The poor little guy. I sometimes despair that the NSPCC, Barnardos etc can ever make much difference when you hear of such everyday cruelty and disregard being handed out. I find it very, very, very hard at the moment to think of any child being unloved or hurt by its parents.

Marina, I understand exactly why you feel like that. The saddest thing is, I don't think she really meant it - it was said with the same amount of emotion as "I won't get you some Smarties" - but that was shocking in itself. He went on whingeing and she went on talking to her friend.

Maybe it was what she grew up hearing. There must be so many "families" like this, impoverished in so many ways, where nobody has a fair chance at a successful life. He will probably go to school and say things like that to other kids in the playground, then grow up, father a baby at 15 or 16 and say the same things himself. Is it like this in other developed countries? Is there any way this country can educate all its children to stop the progression?

Janh and marina you are making me feel so guilty.
My oldest ds cracked a bone in his wrist while ice skating yesterday and we were at the fracture clinic this morning.

Ds was in high spirits, really looking forward to showing off his plaster caste at school. He was insisting on reading me poems - poems I'd heard unpteen times before - and I really wanted to get on with my own reading. After telling him to read to himself three or four times I said 'if you don't stop I will stamp on your arm' Then realised I was being overheard by a waiting room full of fracture patients!

Tigermoth

Tigermoth, you bad thing!

(Think we've all been there really. They know we don't mean it!)

ROFL!!!!

Nothing they won't have heard before n times if it's the hospital I'm thinking of Tigermoth

Hope he is feeling better!

Oh Tigermoth, I just practically wet myself laughing at that!

Bet none of them said anything though tigermoth, it being England and all! Very funny

I used to sit near a woman in Church of all places who used to do that. Her little boy was around the same age as dd, and at that age you can't expect them to sit still through an hours service. But if her little boy so much as made a sound, or moved in his seat, she would put her face as close to his as she could, with a very nasty look of hatred in her eyes, grab his arm and HISS at him! I felt so sorry for him, once he was kneeling on the bench pulling funny faces at me and dd so I pulled some back, his mum whirled round, gave me the filthiest of looks and did the whole face-to-face thing with her son. I often wondered why she bothered going to Church at all!

I agree rhubarb - it's lovely if you can persuade a young child to sit still and obediently in church, but if not then you can'tforce it. Sunday school and creche are such a blessing!

As for the the hiss and face to face stuff - I do this when pushed, as opposed to shouting at my sons in public. Shouting at them in front of strangers is so embarasssing for all.

However, they drove me to the brink of madness on saturday in our local shopping centre and I did both. Not a good morning.

Going back to batters message - I think the most shocking bit was the threat ie your dad will be looking after you at weekends - more than the way it was said. Not that I think hissing face to face is particularly good or desirable.

Tigermoth, at least you took your son to hospital. I made mine wait until the next morning! he came home from Rugby on wednesday night with it hanging from his body and I said have a hot bath, cold compress and some nurofen, I have had four glasses of wine, DH is out, so I can't possibly take you to casualty!!

DH took him the next morning, yes a fractured wrist!

Oh god, that happened to me once, DS1 got walked on by a horse (don't ask) playing out one summer evening, his friends ran to tell me and I called an ambulance which took him to hosp, but I had to follow in the car with DD2 and DS2 and had had at least 2 glasses of wine...

No harm done fortunately - in any way (he had a horseshoe shaped bruise though!)

That emergency car drive but driver (me) over the limit scenario is one I dread!

One of my friends ignored her son's football injury for three weeks. She just did the usual hot bath/paracetamol/tubigrip thing and then he had a second accident, this time more urgent. The A&E Dr confirmed that the lad had broken his toe and then asked my friend if she knew he also had a fractured ankle. Oops!

Ikwym about the drinkies. We live in an area without public transport and the accident/sudden illness does go through my head. But I guess we'd get a taxi, if necessary, as losing a driving license would make life extremely difficult.