Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Amazingly tactless things complete strangers say...

165 replies

HollyBollyBooBoo · 28/11/2010 00:56

Whilst pregnant

New potential supplier in meeting at work infront of 5 of my team: '...have you put on much weight? You look asthough you have or were you always that big?'
I'm a size 14 and put on 10lbs during entire pregnancy, needless to say the b!tch didn't get the contract.

With new baby (for info DD has a small birthmark on her right hand)

Old man in supermarket: '...what's that on her hand? Did she burn herself on the stove?'
Me: 'Yes I always let my 8 week old play on the hot stove, gotta start 'em young'

Woman doing a food demo in a up-market foodie place: 'Ah lovely baby. Is she hungry?
Me: No, no she's just had 10oz for her lunch!'
Woman: 'Look she's so hungry she's sucked her hand red raw!'
Me: 'No it's a birthmark' (turn on heel and walk off in disgust)

Feeding 5 week old DD a bottle of formula in TK Maxx to prevent her crying her eyes out.
Old man approaches; 'Is that breast milk?'
Me: 'No, formula'
Old man: 'My wife had 5 children and breastfed each one of them for the first year of their lives, so much better for them and cheaper than that stuff'
Me: Cry my eyes out for failing to suceed at breastfeeding despite trying and having counselling.

DD had crying fit for no apparent reason and had eventually calmed down but was bright red and always goes blotchy.
Random old woman in supermarket: 'Is she sunburnt? You really must cover them up at this age for goodness sake.'
Me: Too dumbfounded to even speak to made goldfish impressions with my mouth for a minute until DH came back with the ketchup.

Do I attract the nutjobs out there or what?! Had no idea my DD would be such public property!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
TeacupTempest · 01/08/2012 18:50

Today, out and about with 7.5 month DD

"oh she looks like she's in her pyjamas!"

Yep....she s a BABY in a BABYGROW of all things

( also in her third clothes change of the day so quite lucky she wasn't in a nappy and a Chritmas bobble hat tbh)

EnglishGirlApproximately · 02/08/2012 13:55

teacup I got that the first time I went to baby group. DS was 6 weeks old and someone said 'oh look at him, still in his jammies. Bless him'

6 weeks old! I looked around the room and every other baby was dressed up, all the boys in jeans and shirts, girls in dresses - 1 even in a tutu!

I went twice more before deciding it wasn't for me. DS now 19 weeks and will be in rompers and sleepsuits for the foreseeable future.

antsypants · 04/08/2012 11:07

In john Lewis.

Her: You do know that breast feeding is the most natural thing to do for a child, and such a great start to life, she's not too small to start.

Me: Excuse me...

Her: She is such a gorgeous little girl, you should really think about what is best for her, she is very young to be out at this age.

Me: Is she? What age do you think she is? And what age are your children?

Her: Oh, I haven't had children yet, but my friend has just had a baby

Me: and is her baby adopted? Does she have cancer? An illness that requires her to take possibly toxic medication, does she have HIV? Or any of the other problems that can prevent a mother breastfeeding including just bloody choosing not to.

Her: (beetroot) Erm, well no, I was only asking because she is too young, formula is dangerous

Me: Who told you that? Why do you think the companies producing formula would make a food for babies that was dangerous?

Her:...

The most annoying thing about it is that my child was born at just 5lbs and three weeks overdue due to the hospitals negligence and as a result had to be put on formula to gain weight quickly enough to avoid being placed in special care, she was and still is very small for her age (almost 3) by this time she was almost three months old, so not a newborn. I was already quite cross about this as I had planned to BF but was dissuaded by the MW, after joining forums I learnt about combined feeding which would have assured my milk came in.

And this is the crux of it, you really don't know what is going on, you get a one dimensional view of a 3 dimensional situation.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Jac1978 · 05/08/2012 20:08

MIL's friend who I had just met for the first time said "why haven't you had children yet? Poor MIL is desperate for grandchildren and it upsets her that I have two and she has none". This was said a week after I'd suffered a bad miscarriage. I know she didn't know my personal situation but surely that in itself is a reason not to say something like that.

amybelle1990 · 05/08/2012 22:12

Christ! That's so rude. My dad was telling me how lucky I was not to make the mistake of having children too young- when he knew that I was recovering from a miscarriage. Enjoyed rubbing his face in it next month when I got pregnant again! lol :D

Uppermid · 05/08/2012 22:52

So many of these people deserve a simple "why don't you just fuck off". I honestly think that the did you mean to sound so rude would be too subtle for them!

Keepcalmanddrinkgin · 06/08/2012 14:16

On a really sunny day inside m&s, sun hat hanging off buggy handle.

Old lady "that child should really have a sun hat on!"
Me "we are inside so I don't think it's necessary at the moment."

On the bus, ds teething so has dummy in to keep him quiet, two old ladies sitting behind me "Terrible, I just persevered without a dummy, these young ones always take the easy option."

Keepcalmanddrinkgin · 06/08/2012 14:42

Also, while pregnant and at a mw app (on my own dh was at work) shouted across the room by a man I vaguely know:

"so are you still with the dad?"

Imagine if I wasn't and was highly emotional about that?

FreyaKItty · 07/08/2012 01:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

googietheegg · 07/08/2012 15:46

Another gem from my mil at first fucking awful visit to meet DD. I said I was finding breast feeding hard as there was no support here in France. Her response 'we just got on with it'. Oh so you speak for an entire generation do you? And that's another barb to add to the list of what I'm doing wrong. Sad still vvvv upset at that visit.

MrsNouveauRichards · 07/08/2012 16:28

Nowhere near as bad as these, but still recovering from a weekend spent with the witch step-MIL :o

"What beautiful hair, so wasted on a boy"

Fuck off you old trout :o

Peppapigsarse · 07/08/2012 18:15

my mil after meeting dd2 for first time said your have to have a third now wont you? stupid fucking bint!

bubalou · 09/08/2012 09:37

Please excuse my language

FUCKING ARSEHOLES.

What is wrong with people. I have had similar things happen to me. I am I suppose sort of young (26) - which of course means I am a scum bag who got knocked up unintentionally etc. and now has a kid. Not the case.

Some of the looks I get. My son is 4 but looks older. I am 26 - but look about 19 (hopefully this means when I am 40 I will look 25). I am married, I work hard and take great care of my son. None of this matters - I look young, that is all I see on peoples faces when I am out with my DS.

I have had people ask me when he was a baby 'are you sure he can eat that' when at the age of 1 I was feeding him his home made organic sweet potato and carrot in a cafe whilst waiting for my mum to join us for lunch!!!

I had people ask when I was out with my mum - knowing full well he was mine 'is this your little brother' just so they can hear me say it and be judgemental.

I have even pulled up in Tesco into the mother and baby space (not trying to sound flash I swear) this was about 1 1/2 years ago when I had my Audi A6 which has very dark back windows so you cant see if someone is in the back seat. I did what I know a lot of you probably do and locked the car and went to get a trolley 1st which was just a few seconds away.

2 mums were getting into the car next to me and I heard them say 'how the hell can she afford that car - what is she 16! We should tell someone she has parked in a mother baby space - fucking cheek of it'.

I walked back over with my trolley - glared at them both, got my little boy out of the car which caused them both to sneer even more and then said to them both 'I can afford it because I work for it - and I'm 25, not that it's any of your business'.

I smiled and walked away. Unfortunately people are rude and judgemental - try and remember that you are fab! Be prepared and be bold. I was quite shy before I became a mum and now i feel sorry for anybody that dares try to make me feel bad about myself!

Wink - MUM POWER

rainbow2000 · 09/08/2012 10:53

I had a baby after 12 years and the hv asked me if it was for the same father.It is.

I had my first at 22 and i didnt look it the stares and mutters i got.
Ds3 was in a trolley and i left to get something ,it was right beside and i turned around to see some scummy women rooting throught the trolley for his soother.He doesnt use one.
Ive 5 dcs all boys and the comments i get id love to smack them.

I dont know women and its mostly women who have probably been there are so bloody rude just really annoys me.

Ive got as well ds3 was born with a mop of hair and still has it and long eyebrows and people say its wasted on a boy.And i said to one women you would pay to have hair like his.

MrsNouveauRichards · 10/08/2012 10:32

Oh god yes, the age thing! I was 22 when I fell pg with DD. I looked very young though (about 15 tbh) my HV was lovely, not patronising, said 22 was an excellent age to have a baby :)

The physio at the hospital after my emcs, however......

Her: Where is your mum?
Me: Excuse me?
Her: Your mum or guardian? I would rather they were here.
Me: Why do I need my mum or guardian? (genuinely baffled)
Her: Because you are legally a child.
Me: How old do you think I am?
Her: 13?
Me : ShockI am 23!
Her: Oh

No fucking apology, or anything, cheeky cow :o

Sadly I no longer look quite so young.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page