B****y Do-gooders

[megg]

Here's my rant - why can't people mind their own business if they haven't got anything helpful to say. Its rainy and blowing a hooley ds decides he wants to crawl along the pavement with his scoop, I've got one hand on him trying to haul him up, one hand on the buggy trying to stop it blowing away and ds is fighting all the trying to get his scoop when some stupid man comes up and tells me I shouldn't like ds crawl around on the pavement in this weather maybe that was why I was shouting at ds trying to get him up. It was probably the same man who told me in Tesco when ds was a baby and crying that I shouldn't take him shopping. What was I supposed to do leave him home alone? Then there are the old grannies who come up and tell me I'm cruel when ds is throwing a tantrum in the street and I leave him there crying (obviously I don't go far just far enough for ds to stop crying in shock). Then there are the grannies who tell me ds should have gloves on - how am I supposed to keep them on him tie them on? That's it I feel a bit better now but I do wish these people would mind their own business. I see kids getting whacked by their mothers in town but I don't see them going to up to them telling them that they're wrong.

[SoupDragon]

Aloha, think calm thoughts, baby bunnies and white fluffy clouds.... breathe iiiiiiin.... and ouuuuuttt....

[MABS]

and if you can't do that Aloha - just punch their lights out..........

[aloha]

Can hardly type, head spinning round...projectile vomiting...

[prufrock]

Aloha 0 you are turning into Baby Annabel

[susanmt]

Had a 'to-do' with an old lady on the bus today! She was actually very helpful to begin with, moved her seat so I could stash all my shopping next to us, then held ds while I folded buggy etc. But THEN she started going on about how much she loved boys. Oh gorgeous little things, boys are so much more loving than girls, boys are so much cuddlier than girls, boys are so much easier to look after than girls, I would have lots of boys again but wouldn't want another girl in the house etc etc etc .... all in front of my almost 3 yr old dd! So I took ds back, said thankyou and she carried on oh I'd look after your boy anytime, but I wouldn't want a girl .... so I just said to her 'Excuse me, but my daughter is listening to every word you are saying' and turned round and ignored her. I made a big point for the rest of the journey of being really nice to dd (I am always nice, but I was extra nice!). Was I overeacting to get upset by this or was she well out of order? Poor wee dd, she was very subdued this evening and wanted lots of cuddles, but after a few minutes of us playing 'we're the GIRLS!' and putting on nail polish she soon cheered up.

[emsiewill]

sobernow - are you me? I, too have 2 dds, one who seems to be becoming the "pretty, slim" one and one (yes, she takes after me! ) who I fear will become the ginger "chunky" one. I feel for her so much, and it hasn't even happened yet. I'm also scared that I'm putting them into the roles, and they will then "become" what I have predicted. Never say anything to them, but scared they may read my mind.

[ScummyMummy]

Sorry if this sounds smarmy, but if she takes after you she'll have no probs at all in the looks department, Ms Emsiewill.
Know what you all mean about the insideousness of comparing swiblings though.

[GeorginaA]

susanmt: what a horrible woman!!!!! You did exactly the right thing. Not a good message for either you dd or your ds!

[Janeway]

ditto what GeorginaA said - such prejudiced views are not good for either to hear go unchallenged - you did exactly right.

Regarding comparing siblings - don't worry about defending you "sturdy" daughters, one of the abiding hurts from my childhood consists of someone saying to me how lucky I was to have such a pretty little sister, and my mother saying (cupposedly to cheer me up) that I was just going through an awkward phase - I felt (then aged about 5) as though my world had collapsed - If Mum couldn't even call me pretty, what hope had I?

Conversly - my pretty little sister doesn't remember such distinctions on looks, she remembers me always being the clever one, and feeling a bit dim in comparason.....

[hmb]

Janeway, I do sympathise.

I remember the hurt when I was told that I had to wear glasses ( in the ghastly pre Harry Potter 1960s), and the next week I came home and told me mum I had to have a brace on my teeth. She said, 'Goodness, you are going to look a mess! Never mind!'

It amazes me to this day how she could be so tactless

[bells2]

Yeah - I can remember my mother telling me at 5 that there was no point in me continuing with ballet lessons because I was such a "heffalump"!

[emsiewill]

Aw, Scummy, you are sweet - I'm all embarrased now!
I do remember my mum making "tactless" remarks about "fairy elephants" - but at least she was equally outspoken about all 3 of us!