randomkid
03-15-2011, 03:29 AM
DD and I were in a craft store this afternoon and went down the Easter aisle. I could hear this woman the next aisle over harping on her kids in a VERY irritated tone, "Put that down! Stop touching everything!", etc. Initially, I thought, "OK, I get irritated with DD sometimes and get onto her in stores" and tried to give her the benefit of the doubt that maybe the kids had been particulary annoying this trip. However, this was non-stop and she was getting more and more irritated, talking through her teeth in this growling voice, IFKWIM. We're in a craft store with lots of cool stuff to look at and touch, none of which is breakable, btw. Lots of plastic and wooden stuff. I usually let DD just browse, look at things, ask questions, etc. unless we are in a hurry, it's time to leave or the item is fragile. There are times that I want to get done and get out, so I will tell DD to stop looking and let's go. If she doesn't, I just keep walking and she will come along.
Anyway, they come around the corner into our aisle. There are 2 kids, maybe 8 or so years old, not being bad, just looking at stuff. She's still harping on them and I realize that DD has noticed this. She actually seemed to notice it when they were still on the next aisle. So, DD stops and stands dead still as they come toward us. The woman then proceeds to say to her kids "Look how good she's being. She's not messing with everything. She's a good girl" and even directly addresses DD with "You're so good!" WTH?!?! I do not believe in making a kid feel bad by pointing out how great another kid is. We have never done this with DSDs, as in "Why can't you be more like your sister?" and I'm totally against it. I was really irritated that she used MY DD to try to make her kids do what she wanted them to do. What this woman didn't realize is that the only reason DD was just standing there, not touching things, is because the woman was making a spectacle of herself. After they passed, DD looked at me, smiled and kind of laughed like she thought the situation was silly. As soon as they walked away, DD picked up a big plastic egg and said "What's this?" :ROTFLMAO:
FWIW, by the end of our store visit, I was telling DD "Put that down, stop touching, let's go" because I was done and ready to get home, but I was not gnashing my teeth at her and belittling her. I simply told her what to do and when she wouldn't come, I'd tell her "I'm moving on now, you need to come with me" and I'd keep walking - she kept up.
Thanks for the vent. It's none of my business if a parent is getting onto their kids in the store, even talking to them in a crappy tone, but don't pull my child into it!
Anyway, they come around the corner into our aisle. There are 2 kids, maybe 8 or so years old, not being bad, just looking at stuff. She's still harping on them and I realize that DD has noticed this. She actually seemed to notice it when they were still on the next aisle. So, DD stops and stands dead still as they come toward us. The woman then proceeds to say to her kids "Look how good she's being. She's not messing with everything. She's a good girl" and even directly addresses DD with "You're so good!" WTH?!?! I do not believe in making a kid feel bad by pointing out how great another kid is. We have never done this with DSDs, as in "Why can't you be more like your sister?" and I'm totally against it. I was really irritated that she used MY DD to try to make her kids do what she wanted them to do. What this woman didn't realize is that the only reason DD was just standing there, not touching things, is because the woman was making a spectacle of herself. After they passed, DD looked at me, smiled and kind of laughed like she thought the situation was silly. As soon as they walked away, DD picked up a big plastic egg and said "What's this?" :ROTFLMAO:
FWIW, by the end of our store visit, I was telling DD "Put that down, stop touching, let's go" because I was done and ready to get home, but I was not gnashing my teeth at her and belittling her. I simply told her what to do and when she wouldn't come, I'd tell her "I'm moving on now, you need to come with me" and I'd keep walking - she kept up.
Thanks for the vent. It's none of my business if a parent is getting onto their kids in the store, even talking to them in a crappy tone, but don't pull my child into it!