Anonymous wrote:How do you deal with this strange, attention-seeking behavior in 780-month-olds?

It's always middle-aged men and women who squat down and address tantruming toddlers directly, with exaggerated facial gestures and a sing-songy voice “What’s wrooooooong, sweet-ums???” It. Literally. Never. Helps. and is so annoying/invasive.

Yeah. What a bunch of jerks, trying to help out a frazzled parent who’s clearly lost control of a situation as their kid makes everyone miserable.

If this has happened to you more than once in life, I suspect people perceive you as a sh$tty parent who can’t manage her own child. Focus on that.

that never happened to me, but I did once have a kindly lady give me a flyer for a PCIT group at the medicaid clinic across the street when my 4 year old had an especially bad meltdown. I was actually appreciative but kind of laughed ironically because I wouldn’t be eligible.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why I never try to help parents. I used to hold doors for people struggling with strollers, but it seems the "it takes a village" crowd only wants the village when it's convenient. So parents are invisible to me.

So because people don’t want you parenting for them, you’ve decided to become rude and not hold the door for people struggling with a stroller?

I've never tried to parent for anyone. But if parents are going to decide that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, then why bother? I don't slam doors in anyone's face, but I used to be the type of person who if I noticed someone trying to get in or out of somewhere I'd lend a hand. Not anymore.

Also it's a bit funny to call talking to a child "parenting" them.

Trying to get a tantruming toddler to calm down is very much parenting them.

You frankly just sound rude,

It takes a village. They're just trying to help.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why I never try to help parents. I used to hold doors for people struggling with strollers, but it seems the "it takes a village" crowd only wants the village when it's convenient. So parents are invisible to me.

So because people don’t want you parenting for them, you’ve decided to become rude and not hold the door for people struggling with a stroller?

I've never tried to parent for anyone. But if parents are going to decide that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, then why bother? I don't slam doors in anyone's face, but I used to be the type of person who if I noticed someone trying to get in or out of somewhere I'd lend a hand. Not anymore.

Also it's a bit funny to call talking to a child "parenting" them.

When some stranger approach my toodler in the city, he spits to then like a llama. I do not think he has covid, but yes, strangers sometimes are annoying. They upset more the angry toddlers.

Anonymous wrote:This is why I never try to help parents. I used to hold doors for people struggling with strollers, but it seems the "it takes a village" crowd only wants the village when it's convenient. So parents are invisible to me.

So because people don’t want you parenting for them, you’ve decided to become rude and not hold the door for people struggling with a stroller?

I do it because I know I'm good at it. I've gotten toddler laying across a sidewalk blocking the flow of traffic to move to the side. I've gotten them to stop screaming inside a shop.

If you can't control your child, and your child is interfering with my enjoyment of life, then I will.

Oh man. This gave me an awful flashback to when my 3 year old refused to leave the kiddie pool when my 6month old (in a baby Bjorn) had a dirty diaper and had just vomited at the same time. While ordinarily reasonable, the 3 year old freaked out and started screaming when I told her we needed to leave. She was kicking and thrashing and refusing to put her shoes on. This one woman came over to ask her if “Mommy was being too mean to her by insisting it was time to go home”. I wanted to punch her. My neighbor came over and picked Dd up and carried her home after glaring at the officious intermeddler. I was so grateful. Turns out the next day DD had a double ear infection, the likely cause of her intransigence.

This is why I never try to help parents. I used to hold doors for people struggling with strollers, but it seems the "it takes a village" crowd only wants the village when it's convenient. So parents are invisible to me.

Anonymous wrote:They are trying to get you to remove your annoying kid

From the sidewalk? These self-proclaimed toddler whisperers literally jump out in front of moving strollers.

Yeah, terrible people trying to make a little kid feel better. The nerve!

They are trying to get you to remove your annoying kid

I have never seen this happen.

How do you deal with this strange, attention-seeking behavior in 780-month-olds?

It's always middle-aged men and women who squat down and address tantruming toddlers directly, with exaggerated facial gestures and a sing-songy voice “What’s wrooooooong, sweet-ums???” It. Literally. Never. Helps. and is so annoying/invasive.