+1 Maybe the yelling was too far, but the message is right. I'm curious if this was the one thing that really stuck out about their childhood? I scolded my child for something similar (not for cookie selection, but for doing something inconsiderate that held up a planned lunch with friends at a restaurant). I hope that's not the one thing she remembers about her childhood! |
The yelling and shaming is too far and not needed. The PP says mom belittled him or her, saying child wasting her time etc. It's the shaming and anger that can be traumatic, the beginnings of emotional abuse. What child benefits from hearing a message from the person you depend on to survive, that you are wasting their time, or feeling tat persons anger, over and over again? Anyone who can't appreciate how emotionally vulnerable it would be to be yelled at, to be ridiculed and shamed, emotionally abused by the person you depend on to survive in the world, is just in denial. |
Yes, that was what I said. The yelling was too far. I disagree with some of the other PPs that said the retail worker's time wasn't important. That message is totally wrong. All people deserve respect despite their jobs and no one is more important than anyone else. |
I didn't say the worker's time wasn't important. I said I'd ask the worker if we could have some time to decide and then call her when we are ready. This models respect for the worker's time to the child. If the worker said, "No", I would quickly explain to my child they have to pick now and would guide them in their choice. I didn't realize this was an every day event. I didn't allow my kids treats every day when they were little, so picking one would have been special and I certainly wouldn't spoil that by yelling at them. I hope this clears things up. |
She us raising her children to be happily shameless. |
That's fair and I respect your thoughts on the matter. |
+1 I have no doubt this was only the first, not the last. |
DP. It would be the mom/adult responsibility to ensure the server or worker’s time is not wasted. I think this would be a fine response. Retails workers are part of the village in raising a child - there’s no need for them to become impatient with a child but agree, maybe worker could be annoyed with mom if not handling child well. I didn’t hear you say that the retail workers time was not important either- it just seems some posters are trying to find issue with your response. My reaction to your response Is that I would have loved to have you as a mom. Sorry people are piling on you. My DS was also a slow to warm up child - needed a lot of time to make decisions, likes to become familiar with the situation and get comfortable before making a move. I tried to support him while moving him towards making quicker decisions. Some of that is becoming confident in their decisions. It also turned out later he had ADHD, so there were cognitive issues making it hard for him to decide. I’m so glad to say that the ADHD never became a point of shame for him (I come from a family of high achieving people) and he started college last fall studying engineering. But I can see if I had become angry every time he took too long, if I yelled and belittled him, it would have been hard for him to gain confidence in himself and his abilities and knowledge to get to engineering school. |
This is heartbreaking. Why on earth did he do this. Ugh. There is something very wrong with a man you "can''t leave alone with an infant/toddler". Yikes. Something someone told me that helped. Remember that parents are just random people who managed to reproduce. They aren't trained, they aren't vetted. They may be crazy, insensitive or downright cruel. Their failure to love you is NOT a reflection on you, who you are, and what you deserve. Not a reflection of your value. I hope you find peace and are able to let go of the pain of your childhood. |
| On this devastating thread, filled with so much pain, can we please have the decency to not debate whether someone's memory of a bad experience is really bad enough? WTF is wrong with you people? Some of you might want to think about your own lack of empathy and what that might mean for your own children. |
+1000. Thank you for the reality check. |
| I was very young. My younger brother got away with every (at first backtalking, then R-rated movies at 7 years old, then drugs, then drinking, then an arrest). I was spanked for not squeegeeing the shower door and a 82 on a math test in 4th grade. |
As someone who is permanently attached to the couch play Candy Crush, this sounds like depression, not disinterest. |
NP. This kind of thing is why I struggle being waited on. I always suspect there's something else better the cashier, server, whoever could be doing. |
hmm this is something that I am working on- you took something that was supposed to be a treat for your kid and pissed all over it and made it a bad memory. it doesn't matte that your kid takes forever etc.. you let them have that fun experience b/c honestly your child having a good experience IS more important than the service person having to deal with their pickiness. The next time that you are going to be in the same situation- you tell your kid- hey, take your time and choose something once so that you dont inconvenience the service worker which you shouldn't do wether the item is free or paid for regardless. let people around you have a good time at the moment and choose a neutral time to teach your kids good manners. Your children will remember you as hyper critical and dementor like and they maybe even think that you re prioritizing the worker over them and that is the worst feeling for a child. |