Waiting room etiquette

[Anonymous]

Recently I was in a waiting room at a pediatric office (a specialist) with my son. It is a large waiting room with about 20 chairs. I had my 4 year old with me and he brought me a book from the book pile they have there. I started reading it to him quietly - not whispering, but definitely below normal speaking voice. The other parent in the waiting area immediately made a big sigh and a huge show of putting in ear plugs (not ear buds, actual ear plugs.) She also loudly told her child couple times “I can’t hear you, it’s too loud in here” while glaring at me. That’s odd, right? I feel like I know the answer to my own question and this was not a normal reaction, but she was so over the top that it made me question myself

[Anonymous]

The sound of a parent reading is way better than the sound of someone’s one-sided work call or someone watching loud video news in a foreign language that I don’t speak or understand.

But maybe just assume she had a migraine and was having a spectacularly sucky day. She was being passive aggressive and rude.

I don’t think reading a book is wrong unless you misperceived how loud you were or were being really performative- my two pet peeves that I’m stuck with in my family. My DH doesn’t know how to speak softly and his attempts to whisper are actually louder than his normal voice. And my SIL is a performative parent and it is tedious to be in her presence when she’s “on”. Maybe you accidentally did one of those?

[Anonymous]

I don’t know why but I always found parents like you super annoying. It’s not that you did anything wrong necessarily, it’s that most of the time when I encountered parents like you it seemed contrived.

[Anonymous]

It wasn’t you. She was an ass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It wasn’t you. She was an ass.

Plus 1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It wasn’t you. She was an ass.

Plus 1

+2

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The sound of a parent reading is way better than the sound of someone’s one-sided work call or someone watching loud video news in a foreign language that I don’t speak or understand.

But maybe just assume she had a migraine and was having a spectacularly sucky day. She was being passive aggressive and rude.

I don’t think reading a book is wrong unless you misperceived how loud you were or were being really performative- my two pet peeves that I’m stuck with in my family. My DH doesn’t know how to speak softly and his attempts to whisper are actually louder than his normal voice. And my SIL is a performative parent and it is tedious to be in her presence when she’s “on”. Maybe you accidentally did one of those?

I know exactly what you mean!! Maybe I was giving that vibe! I was reading kind of slowly and asking him questions between the pages. It was because was sitting nicely and he usually gets really whiny in these situations so I was trying to keep him captive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The sound of a parent reading is way better than the sound of someone’s one-sided work call or someone watching loud video news in a foreign language that I don’t speak or understand.

But maybe just assume she had a migraine and was having a spectacularly sucky day. She was being passive aggressive and rude.

I don’t think reading a book is wrong unless you misperceived how loud you were or were being really performative- my two pet peeves that I’m stuck with in my family. My DH doesn’t know how to speak softly and his attempts to whisper are actually louder than his normal voice. And my SIL is a performative parent and it is tedious to be in her presence when she’s “on”. Maybe you accidentally did one of those?

I know exactly what you mean!! Maybe I was giving that vibe! I was reading kind of slowly and asking him questions between the pages. It was because was sitting nicely and he usually gets really whiny in these situations so I was trying to keep him captive.

This was what aggravate her. Read a story, fine. Hold a seminar in between every page turn? Bonkers annoying. I’m sure your questions had that granola parent sing-song voice. I know it because we did it too. But in doctors offices we always brought crayons and paper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Recently I was in a waiting room at a pediatric office (a specialist) with my son. It is a large waiting room with about 20 chairs. I had my 4 year old with me and he brought me a book from the book pile they have there. I started reading it to him quietly - not whispering, but definitely below normal speaking voice. The other parent in the waiting area immediately made a big sigh and a huge show of putting in ear plugs (not ear buds, actual ear plugs.) She also loudly told her child couple times “I can’t hear you, it’s too loud in here” while glaring at me. That’s odd, right? I feel like I know the answer to my own question and this was not a normal reaction, but she was so over the top that it made me question myself

It's definitely odd to put in ear plugs and then blame someone else for your inability to hear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The sound of a parent reading is way better than the sound of someone’s one-sided work call or someone watching loud video news in a foreign language that I don’t speak or understand.

But maybe just assume she had a migraine and was having a spectacularly sucky day. She was being passive aggressive and rude.

I don’t think reading a book is wrong unless you misperceived how loud you were or were being really performative- my two pet peeves that I’m stuck with in my family. My DH doesn’t know how to speak softly and his attempts to whisper are actually louder than his normal voice. And my SIL is a performative parent and it is tedious to be in her presence when she’s “on”. Maybe you accidentally did one of those?

I know exactly what you mean!! Maybe I was giving that vibe! I was reading kind of slowly and asking him questions between the pages. It was because was sitting nicely and he usually gets really whiny in these situations so I was trying to keep him captive.

This was what aggravate her. Read a story, fine. Hold a seminar in between every page turn? Bonkers annoying. I’m sure your questions had that granola parent sing-song voice. I know it because we did it too. But in doctors offices we always brought crayons and paper.

It was still incredibly rude of the lady to react in the way she did.

[Anonymous]

Ask yourself if she could have sat with her own thoughts and been able to concentrate on work or a novel. If not then you were being far too loud and very rude.

Alternatively, ask yourself if she could have read a book to her own kid in the same volume that you were using and that both your kids could have listened to your own stories without interference from the other. Like you wouldn’t have needed to keep getting louder to go over each other. If you could each read a story at that volume then it would have been fine. If not, far too loud. Other people shouldn’t be forced to listen to you talk just because your kid was being good for once and you were able to read to him. You should read aloud at home. 4 years old should be able to carefully “read” through a book or magazine to amuse himself even if yours can’t actually read at this age yet.

[Anonymous]

You were in a pediatric office and she expected silence? Who carries earplugs with them? How long does it take to read a child’s book? If you were sparkly softly, I think she was off base. In any case, I always try to remember that perhaps her child has a serious impending diagnosis so her reaction doesn’t have anything to do with me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The sound of a parent reading is way better than the sound of someone’s one-sided work call or someone watching loud video news in a foreign language that I don’t speak or understand.

But maybe just assume she had a migraine and was having a spectacularly sucky day. She was being passive aggressive and rude.

I don’t think reading a book is wrong unless you misperceived how loud you were or were being really performative- my two pet peeves that I’m stuck with in my family. My DH doesn’t know how to speak softly and his attempts to whisper are actually louder than his normal voice. And my SIL is a performative parent and it is tedious to be in her presence when she’s “on”. Maybe you accidentally did one of those?

I definitely understand the “tedious” parent thing when it’s someone you know in a social situation. A relative or a playgroup or whatever. I think we’ve all been around people like that. But a stranger in public who you don’t talk to or interact with? Who caaaares??? This lady was rude and weird.

[Anonymous]

I would ignore the type of person who carries earplugs on them.

[Anonymous]

Ped office - no one should expect silence.

Even if you were being the annoying parent it's a ped office, she should get over herself.

if she was having some kind of migraine - then she should have waited outside and told the receptionist; rescheduled or put the plugs in and communicated with her child differently