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Original poster

How can people who have been parents be so damn dumb?

23 replies

dejags · 19/04/2005 08:36

We had family here over the weekend. They were trying to get DS2 to walk by himself i.e. one would hold him and the other one would sit five feet away and say "let him go, he should try it by himself" - he is seven months old ffs!

if they had never had kids I wouldn't be surprised but they have had 5 kids between them. Will I also forget and try to do and say the stupidest things in 10 years time?

OP posts:

Bozza · 19/04/2005 08:38

From the evidence I see I would say that there is a strong possibility that you will. My Mum has just told my sister that my 9 week old nephew is teething because he dribbled. Now I know that babies can get teeth at 9 weeks, but a hell of a lot of dribbling 9 week olds are not about to sprout a tooth.

suzywong · 19/04/2005 08:39

I thought he was a bit young when I read the first sentence

well my MIL reckons she had hers potty trained by 13 months... yeah right her and her servant in those days

I'm sure we will all say absolutely dumfoundingly stupid things.. and enjoy it .. when we are old biddies

Original poster

dejags · 19/04/2005 08:41

ah so a life of inane and totally thoughtless remarks awaits me bozza.

I didn't say anything at the time as I was still absorbing the comments about the fact that DS2 must have lost weight since they last saw him - ONE week ago

OP posts:

Leogaela · 19/04/2005 09:31

that is mad! they were trying to get YOUR ds to walk???? did you stop them?

My mum is great for saying stupid things, she came to visit me a few weeks ago when ds was 4 weeks old. she had 6 children who were 'all sleeping through the night after a month' and 'none of ''mine'' ever cried'! Selective memory I think, but great for mine & dh's confidence when trying to find our way with dealing with a new baby!

Frizbe · 19/04/2005 09:37

That's mad! lol at Leogaela's selective memory quote as well, your sure right, however I must add that my gran, the next generation up at 91! yikes can still remember all the horrible things my dad did as well and takes great delight in telling me (in front of him) she also did not beat about the bush re childbirth, having done two with no pain relief and told it how it is, phew thinks I thank crikey for drugs!

Original poster

dejags · 19/04/2005 09:38

I dont take it seriously (at least most of the time ). I just think us humans are pre-programmed to forget all parenting skills and the in's and out's of babies and small children 10-15 years after the birth of our youngest.

DS2 is very strong on his pins and can cruise the furniture with help, so maybe they thought he would be setting a world record

OP posts:

Original poster

dejags · 19/04/2005 09:39

ooops I meant all parenting skills for tiny babies and toddlers.

a bit scared to say something wrong here lately, just thought I should clarify.

OP posts:

stitch · 19/04/2005 09:41

i think if we didnt forget, then we wouldnt keep reproducing.
and we definitly wouldnt go through labour a second time!

starlover · 19/04/2005 11:14

well, it IS possible for babies to walk that early.
And it is also not unheard of for 4 week old babies to sleep through the night.
At one of the hospitals round here they get the babies into a routine of feeding every 3 hours and going most of the way through the night without waking before you're allowed to leave.

lockets · 19/04/2005 11:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Gobbledigook · 19/04/2005 11:26

Leogaela - just to say, all my 3 were sleeping through the night by 1 month I did feed them but they barely woke up and went straight back to sleep!

aloha · 19/04/2005 11:42

"allowed to leave'" Starlover?? Do hospitals double as prisons where you are?!

ambrosia · 19/04/2005 11:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Leogaela · 19/04/2005 12:31

Gobbledigook & Ambrosia! What is the secret? Did they sleep much during the day. Ds is 8 weeks now and wakes for a feed somewhere between 12 & 1 and again between 4 & 5. Although the feed between 4&5 I think is a comfort feed and I am trying to reduce the time he feeds.

I still stand behind my statement that my mum has selective memory. Maybe one or 2 of us slept through the night after a month but all 6 of us!!!! WHat are the chances of that? my sister & me think that she was just so occupied doing everything else and so exhausted when she went to bed that she didn't hear us crying so we gave up (accidental (un)controlled crying!)!

sandyballs · 19/04/2005 12:33

Oh I'm guilty of this . Had a friend with her 7 months old baby over last week and he was getting a bit tetchy so I got my DD's Aquadraw out to see if he fancied doing that

emmamama · 19/04/2005 12:38

Childbirth???? Childbirth??????

My MIL (from hell btw) had a niggly pain, then squatted over a bucket to give birth. Doesn't know what all the fuss is about.

2 days later she was back into her normal clothes.

Right.

ambrosia · 19/04/2005 12:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

dejags · 19/04/2005 13:34

I am sure it's possible for babies to walk at 7months old, but these people are my baby's family and they should know him well enough by now to know that he is nowhere near walking. suppose that was my original point.

OP posts:

stitch · 20/04/2005 08:53

at 3 and a half months, ny dd would go all the way accross the room, if i left her on the floor. if i hadnt seen it with my own eyes, i wouldnt believe it. it wasnt crawling, more bottom shuffling, but the effect was the same. and since she couldnt steer, had to be careful she didnt get her head stuck against something, as poor thing would just try to push herself in further.

coldtea · 20/04/2005 09:34

This thread is making me laugh. Dejags, i'm one of 5 & my youngest brother is only 10. You would think my mum was more in touch also with her parenting memory!

Here's mine. I knew all my nursery rhymes at 18 months, was potty trained just after my 1st birthday. Could count to 100 by 2 & could read shortly after.............Yeah right!

If i was so bright what happened????

starlover · 20/04/2005 10:38

dejags... I do see where you'[re coming from.

My point is that a lot of people on the thread have been totally disbelieving of things their parents/grandparents etc have said.

My cousin was potty trained just after he was one. The health visitor told my aunt to keep him in nappies as he was too young!! She ignored this as he was using the potty by himself, and he has been fine ever since!

We all tend to laugh at stuff older generations come out with re kids development, but a lot of the examples on here are not that abnormal.
Why would you assume that people are being "stupid" when they say that their kids were potty trained/walked/talked early???

(this is not aimed at any particular people!... just general observances!)

starlover · 20/04/2005 10:39

emmamama... my friends gran did actually give birth in the toilet! She thought she had constipation and out her little boy popped.

She had had 10 others by that point though (i guess it had got a bit "loose" downt here)

TinyGang · 20/04/2005 10:58

This is so funny! I have listened to all these mad tall tales too when I had my babies; how I was potty trained at 8 months, had a paper round at three (well maybe not that, but close) blah blah.

All very annoying, but as mine grow up, I find the details of that first year/18 months when they change and do so much have slipped my memory

Even though I've had three and they're still only quite small, I sometimes can't quite remember when they ate food lumpy, what I used to give them, what was ok to eat at which age and what is a total no no, how old when each rolled, crawled etc.

All these things were of imperative importance at the time and how I knew every little detail! But friends with babies now ask me things about theirs and I really struggle to recall the ins and outs. Probably because children are so all consuming, I can really only take in the stuff that's going on now and what the next thing is going to be! They're always pushing ahead with life and take me with them.

I'm not sure I would be daft enough to expect a 7 month old to walk, but it does surprise me how much I've already forgotten. Perhaps it's natures way - if people remembered everything in stark detail, they might only ever have one each!

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