I on the other hand along with Daddy Pig are over polite. We say sorry and thank you all the time, perhaps compensating for all the rude people out there. We both quite often look at each other and utter the words, "why did I just say sorry, it was clearly their fault"...however Daddy Pig has now gotten to the point where he mutters in a loud voice how he actually didnt mean to apologise and is withdrawing his apology!
Quite simply, I just can't stand rudeness! I wish that at the time, I had the nerve to shout at them 'You're Welcome' or 'Don't say thank you then' or 'What is your problem?' but I don't, instead I let it fester and annoy me until the next time it happens.
Politeness doesn't cost anything and I think its good to set an example for your children. I always insist that my toddler remembers his manners and this should set him up for life, but am I just making him like me, where he will be endlessly polite only to be met by rude people?
I have tried not saying sorry if I haven't done anything wrong or not saying thank you but its just not in my nature and you can guarantee that the one time I do that, the other person will not be rude and then I just feel bad anyway.
The worst thing though as I mentioned above is when your children are playing you up and you get the 'look' I am sure you all know what 'look' I mean. Its a stare which implies, 'cant you control your child?' What's worse is when the 'look' is from other parents, I mean surely we should stick together? If I see a mummy struggling with a toddler having a tantrum, I always try and catch her eye and give her a message to say, 'hey, hang in there, we've all been through it, I feel your pain!'
There is nothing worse, than feeling like a failure already and then recieve evil looks to top off your day. I just hope that when their kids play them up in public, and there is no doubt in my mind that they will, that they just get the glare instead of the kind, 'I know your pain' look.
Yes, there has been times, when I have wanted to say 'Never seen theses kids before in my life' or 'He's not mine' because mine have perfected the art of showing me up in public. Tesco and Boots seem to be there favioute place to kick off, actually without fail we have some kind of meltdown in either shop. But at the end of the day, when someone offers you a kind look it can make it all the more managable.
So next time you see a toddler having a tanturm, spare a thought for their poor mother and make sure you give the right kind of look.
I'm delighted to be hosting the second week of M.W.A. and am really looking forward to reading your posts and sharing your moments of crazy. Please read around and share a bit of sympathy and support with other M.W.A.
Next week's M.W.A. meeting will be over with Emily at - see you there!
http://familyfourfun.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/
That's all... until my next rant anyway!
You are next...
lol - I hate those rude idiots too. When people give me 'the look' I just give it right back. I'm also training my 8-month-old in the art of death stares...
ReplyDeleteLoving the linky! :))) x
I think I am going to have to get my two to practice the death stare! Great idea.xxx
DeleteAbsolutely!! I am over apologetic like you - Ant on the other hand is loud and outspoken, when I'm out with him I cringe as he says loudly things like 'after you' and 'you go then we'd hate to hold you up' but he's right. The more people look like I have the child from hell the more I allow the 4 of them to do their troublemaking in their direction. So often they'll be annoying me until we get into a conspiracy to annoy the haters ;)) xx
ReplyDeleteI like your thinking there Em, I am so going to do that too. Along with the death stares, I will be well away. xxx
DeleteI apologise for everything. Final straw for me last week was when a lady stood on my foot on the bus and I apologised for my foot being there. She glared at me for interrupting her journey to her seat and left me wishing I'd deliberately stuck my foot out to trip her.
ReplyDeleteHow dare your foot be in the way hey! I can just picture it Jeanie. You defo should have triped her up or stolen her seat. xxx
DeleteI also apologise when people bump into me, push past me etc. Generally even though it was their fault and I'm trying to be nice and polite I am either completely ignored or am given the scowl face. I could tolerate it when it was just me, but when I either have a baby strapped to me or a buggy with me it is a different kettle of fish. The other day a group of teens (about 6 of them) pushed me out of the way at a door while I was holding it open to walk through whilst holding my baby in the other arm. I lost it. I yelled after them "Don't mind me, I'm just effing invisible! Don't worry I'll just stand here and hold the door you morons. You're welcome!" Whilst glaring like a nutcase. They didn't bat an eyelid. Anyone else got the whole invisible thing going on?
ReplyDeleteInvisible seems to be my middle name too! How rude, glad you said something too, even though its like we are the quite one sitting on the checkout taking crap day after day and then one day turning up with a machine gun ;-) xxx
DeleteI'm a big believer in saying 'you're welcome' to rude people who refuse to say thank you when I open the door for them. Its liberating. I am not quite as gutsy when its about my children. So when I get 'The Look' as I fold a ranting toddler into a push chair I'm ashamed to admit I don't glare back. Yet!
ReplyDeleteRight, we both have to practice the glare back. Lets both try it next time and see how we get on! Keep me posted if you are brave enough to do it. xx
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