Weird Grocery Store Trip

[Raidra]

I ran into the grocery store to grab a few things this morning and an older woman came up to me, holding out a $10. She said, "Here, treat your children to something today." I politely refused, blushing bright red I'm sure, and she continued trying to give me the money, saying that I had my hands full and that we deserved a treat. I eventually gave in and accepted it because it felt rude to keep refusing.

I've never had something happen like that before and wonder if anyone else has. It's possible she overheard me saying to the boys that they could have some chocolate milk since they behaved so well at the doctor's (sick visit for Fiona). It was just.. weird. Sweet, but weird.

[wellyes]

Awwww. That was really nice.

[DietCokeLover]

I am guessing she was just trying to do a "random act of kindness". What a sweet blessing to your DC. (and a great teaching moment on generosity)

[chozen]

what a blessing, im glad you received it.

[pinkmomagain]

I'm sure it gave that woman alot of pleasure to do it and -- although it must have felt awkward-- it's great that you accepted it graciously.

[elektra]

I am guessing she was just trying to do a "random act of kindness". What a sweet blessing to your DC. (and a great teaching moment on generosity)

:yeahthat:
I would feel a little weird too but I bet she was just trying to pay it forward. Maybe she has 3 or 4 kids herself. :)

[babybunny]

A few years ago, I was dealing with my 3 year old in the grocery store while I was in a rush to get out quickly as we had my nephew's christening to go to and we were running late. He was begging for a mylar balloon. Actually several. I ended up getting two. (For the record, we only buy them now if it is his birtday or someone else's birthday which cuts down on the whining for them). I guess another cranky toddler saw this and wanted one and his mom had not purchased any. This little guy was crying hysterically all the way out of the store. And you could hear that the wailing was about the balloons. My son asked why is he crying? HELLO -- He sees you have two balloons and he didn't get any. So I had a talk with DS and he agrees that it would be nice to give the wailing kid one of his balloons. So we run back to them and offer a balloon with the excuse that my DS wanted to give him one because he had two.

I felt pretty good about that brainstorm. Especially since DH would have been furious that I had been suckered into two balloons. And I also felt guilty that the kid was wailing because I had gotten two balloons. But the mom must have thought I was a little weird.

It felt a little lame to be honest. But we did make the little boy stop crying.

Then as we went back to unload the groceries into the back of the car, I put DS in the back of the station wagon for a minute to get out of the sun. He picks up something off the carpet and tells me he found one of my earrings. (I don't usually wear earrings, and I almost ignored him because how could there be an earring in the back of my car?) But something made me look and between his two fingers he was holding the DIAMOND missing from my engagement ring that had disappeared two weeks prior....and I was completely at a loss as to how it could be found.

(Insert Mommy securing the diamond, jumping up and down, kissing DS, etc.)

So we took that as a sign from above that it pays to be nice to people. Especially moms with kids. : )

[Melaine]

Very nice, although I'm sure it kind of took you by surprise. The other day we were at Kroger doing a major grocery haul in the HUGE double carts with the steering wheels and all. By the time I had unloaded the groceries and the kids I swear I was sweating even in the cold and I was just plain tired (you guys know how it is).

A lady came up beside me right as I was finishing and offered to put the HUGE cart away for me. Honestly, it was the nicest thing anyone could have done at that particular moment and I was so touched. She had apparently seen me struggling and said the girls were so cute and it looked like I could use a hand.

Made me smile for the rest of the day, and reminded me how little things can really mean a lot especially when coming from a stranger!

[Andi98989]

Last week I stopped at McDonald's to get a Diet Coke on my way to work. DS had been up a lot the night before, and DH was being a pain in the neck that morning, and it had snowed that night. I pulled up to pay and the cashier told me that the lady in front of me had paid for my order and said to have a nice day.

Next time I stop, I need to pay it forward and do the same for the person behind me.

[Jen841]

Now you have to play it forward.

My Mom's friend randomly sent me $10 and $20 in college and would write "bubblegum money" with it. It was a nice treat to be able to pick up something special with it.

Treat yourselves to something!

[chozen]

Last week I stopped at McDonald's to get a Diet Coke on my way to work. DS had been up a lot the night before, and DH was being a pain in the neck that morning, and it had snowed that night. I pulled up to pay and the cashier told me that the lady in front of me had paid for my order and said to have a nice day.

Next time I stop, I need to pay it forward and do the same for the person behind me.

my mom does this at mcdonalds sometimes and she really enjoys it.

[hellokitty]

Older ppl tend to do this. Last yr when DS1 was in preschool, I took DS2 grocery shopping. As I was loading my groceries into the car an older lady came up to me, told me that she had been watching us (?!?!) and was so impressed with how well behaved DS2 was while I was shopping. She was wondering if it was ok to give him a quarter. I was surprised, this is the first time something happened to me like this, but I said, "Ok, thank you, that is very nice of you." I made sure my son thanked her for the quarter. Ironically, later on that day, DS2 was a total BEAST, like he basically threw one of the worst tantrums he's ever thrown, that day will live in infamy, b/c I remember it as the day he got a quarter for being hell boy. I can't help but snicker that someone would think my kid was this angelic child and then he comes home and acts like a demon child. I did make a comment to her about how she just happened to catch us on a good day, b/c my kids are not always that well behaved out in public, lol and she laughed and said she knew what I meant, b/c she had like 8 grandkids and 6 of them were boys. It was really nice of her to do that though, esp since I'm more used to ppl looking at me like I have 3 heads when I take my kids out.

[katydid1971]

Great stories. I love that she did it, I could totally see my mom doing something like that. Hope it made your day.

[WatchingThemGrow]

But something made me look and between his two fingers he was holding the DIAMOND missing from my engagement ring that had disappeared two weeks prior....and I was completely at a loss as to how it could be found.

(Insert Mommy securing the diamond, jumping up and down, kissing DS, etc.)

So we took that as a sign from above that it pays to be nice to people. Especially moms with kids. : )
That's really cool!
OP, I think people who've had several small children at the same time know what it's like, and I think a lot of people just want to pass along some encouragement. Yesterday, we went to BRU to do all the Pres. Day diaper, formula, sippy cup deals. I was pushing the cart FULL of stuff plus DD, and pulling the BJCED with the boys. Of course only one register was open, so when I had to use all my coupons, gift cards, formula checks, and do two transactions, I knew I was not making any friends in the line behind me. Three different people offered to help me out of the store, and I finally let the last one wheel the boys to the back of the van for me. It's hard to be humble and accept others' favor sometimes.

[BelleoftheBallFlagstaff]

Very nice! I had a mom get DD popcorn at Target a few weeks ago (after asking), because my spirited DD was throwing a major tantrum! Yesterday a college gal held my cart in front of Target after DD tried to bolt.

The little things like these restore your faith in humanity!

[VClute]

I have taken up this kind of thing recently, paying for the person behind me at my favorite Chick-Fil-A drive through.

Recently, though, I did this and the woman I paid for FOLLOWED ME HOME. She had never had anyone do something like this before and she actually thought it had something to do with the nasty divorce she's currently going through. I told her I was sorry that I had frightenend her, and that it was intended to be a blessing, and that I had nothing to do with her estranged husband. I could see that she had written down my license plate and home address and was still shaken by the whole thing.

THAT is the kind of person who really needs a blessing!

On the other hand, my equally cynical and distrusting husband said, "Stop paying for other people. The next one that follows you home might do something!" Oy!

[BabyH]

Yep! Pay it forward! Such a great game....

[SkyrMommy]

My grandmother does things like that sometimes... she says she remembers all to clearly what it was like not to have 'pin money' to spend on things with her kids. And for her $5 here or there is alot of her budget.

[crl]

How nice. DS was once sitting on those rides they have at malls, the car/bus/shuttle things that you feed quarters and they move and make sounds. He was happy climbing in and out and I wasn't going to get in the habit of feeding them quarters. But this nice grandmother paid for her kids to ride and then when they walked off, she handed me all the quarters she had left. I felt a little awkward because I didn't "need" the money. I could have paid for the rides myself. But I decided to accept because I think she just wanted to do something nice, you know?

Catherine

[HallsofVA]

That was very nice of her! I've known several family friends who are without kids or not connected to their kids and grandkids who do similiar things to make them smile and feel useful. Though it is awkward, especially when you see the person.

I've tried to pay it forward a couple of times by paying tolls for folks behind me, etc. But I do always wonder if the toll collector or person that I've paid actually honors my request or just pockets the money. But you have to believe the good in folks, so I trust that they are using the money in the manner I've requested.

[Raidra]

That was very nice of her! I've known several family friends who are without kids or not connected to their kids and grandkids who do similiar things to make them smile and feel useful. Though it is awkward, especially when you see the person.

I've tried to pay it forward a couple of times by paying tolls for folks behind me, etc. But I do always wonder if the toll collector or person that I've paid actually honors my request or just pockets the money. But you have to believe the good in folks, so I trust that they are using the money in the manner I've requested.

I've paid for the person behind me before, and had it done for me, and that's not weird at all.. it was just weird to have it done in person. Of course, my first thought was, "Wow, do we really look that poor?" I know that wasn't it, but I can blame the sensitivity on pregnancy hormones, so I will. ;) Like someone else said, we're not short on cash at all, so it was awkward from that perspective, too.

I hesitate to do things in person for little kids, 'cause I always worry that maybe the kid had just thrown a huge tantrum and the mom said they couldn't have X as a consequence, or whatever. When my mom comes out with us to places where there are coin-op games, she'll give extra prizes she wins to kids that are looking on longingly. It kind of annoys me, because I specifically don't let my kids play those games when they're incidental to the experience (like the games they have at the big indoor bouncy house place) - I'm not paying $25 for my kids to jump, only to have to dish out tons of quarters so they can play games instead. So I worry that the other mom is going to be really annoyed or something. I also know my mom thinks poorly of people who don't let their kids play those games (which includes me), so it's not just a completely nice gesture on her part, either.