What's the worst thing a random stranger has said about your DCs?

[mamadoc]

My DD 3 months is a small person weighed 5lb 4 at birth and steadfastly growing along 0.4th centile since. We have a lot of conversations with interfering old biddies on buses like this:

IOB: Ahh what a tiny baby how old is she?
me: 3 months
IOB: Gosh really she's very small
me Uh huh

but yesterday someone went one further

IOB: Did you smoke in your pregnancy?
me: speechless at the rudeness.

How I wish I had said not unless you count the crack!

"Are they twins?" ds1 is 5, ds2 (with a rounder face) is 3.

Was in pc world with DS2 (2 at the time). He was wearing jeans, boys trainers and blue sweatshirt and the security guard said

"She's lovely, how old is she?"

DS1 was 6 weeks prem and was just above 5lbs when he came home from SCBU aged 4 weeks. We couldn't make it round the supermarket for about 3 months without someone asking how old he was and then saying "don't you feed him, he's tiny!"

I can't stand it when other people, think it is thier God given right as fellow human to talk with every child they come across. I friendly smile, a wink, or little playfulness is one thing but I have had people really upset me.

The worst thing though is when they say inappropriate stuff to your kid or around them. The people who live across the street from me drive me crazy. Yelled at other neighbor, "Shut that N- music off." My son asks if that is a bad word. Of course I have to explain that it is a slur against an entire race of people and is the worst type of word because it is hateful.

Califrau - gosh, I bet that stung. Why go into postnatal care if you can't take a bit of baby-wailing? Miserable cow.

People are obsessed with the size of babies aren't they? dd1 was small and people always commented on it, but not in a nasty way, never bothered me. dd2 is hugging the 50th centile, ie exactly average for her age and people are always commenting on how big she is!

One of my Mum's friends saw a photo of dd2 and decided she was so big she wouldn't fit into the 3-6 months clothes she'd bought as a present so she exchanged them for 6 -9 months, dd2 was 6 weeks old at the time.

Yes people do seem to think your baby has to be a certain size or your doing something wrong. If your baby is big your feeding it to much and if your baby is to small your not feeding it enough.

My baby girl is the most petite little thing.

dd1 is too, most memorably commented on by a terribly posh horsey type lady who said "My word she is tiny, still, you don't want a great cart horse of a gel do you?" Made me LOL.

I still think about MRs Old-Biddy saying to me.... aaah isn't she (dd, 3) beautiful? Is her father very good looking? I just slipped a bag over my head and stomped off.

I get the whole 'massive' thing with my boys and 'aren't they chunky!' Doesn't bother me that much - i just tell people that DH is 6ft 3" and built like the proverbial.

ProfYaffle - that's why DH doesn't want girls! He is afraid they would be built like/look like him

Oh isn't she lovely
He (said through gritted teeth - the amount of blue he wears is usually a dead giveaway...)

Wow, runaway, that would seriously piss me off! Maybe she just phrased it badly...

I think people comment on the size of babies because they are looking for someting to say, really. And size is a key differentiator. I used to get lots of people telling me how big ds was. Occasionally tempted to say 'really? Gosh, I hadn't noticed' but didn't really mind as I knew they were just trying to be friendly.

Ooh, runaway, you just reminded me of a comment I got when taking dd1 to dh's workplace when she was newborn, someone said "thank goodness she's got dh's eyes", me

i often get asked if all 4 of my children have the same father

Mainly 'isn't he lovely' about my strapping little girl

but it is not really that terrible - no one has said anything bad in my earshot - thank god!

someone said to dd2 (about dd1) "Is that your sister, or is it some random child your mum's just brought along?"

dd2 didn't understand at all, and dd1 and I were

2 hospital staff were walking through the maternity ward, one of them pointed to DS2 and said "that's a nice one"

I felt so bad for the other mothers who clearly heard her.

People comment on the size of my dd cos she's solid and my ds cos he's really small and dainty still bying him 12-18 months when he's 2.7.

my friends sil said 'oo he looks like a cartoon character with those big eyes, when she saw my ds'!??!

Oh RainbowWalker - how I sympathise! I had three under 3 yrs at one point and was (at times) struggling to cope with situations as you describe.

I had a similar lecture from a friends husband beause I'd left them to pay for petrol. (They only have one child though)

Oh yes the size thing. In supermarket once with DS who admittedly is big for age (well tall really)...

Old Biddy: How old is he?
Me: 6 weeks
OB: No he can't be, he's at least 4 months
Me: Well I was there at the birth

"oooh, she obviously likes her food, bless her" to my (rather chubby admittedly) 8 month old!

MaMFM I feed him Jolly green giants, Porridge, Looooonnnnggg green beans, stick him in a pot and water every night then stretch him out in the morning. Is that the answer folk would like to what do I feed him.

Oh and not forgetting the fertilizer