This renewed my hatred of old people.

loveshine1

I had picked up Baby A from school, and had Baby L with me when my FIL called me to ask if I wanted to meet him and MIL for lunch at First Watch. For those not familiar, First Watch is a breakfast/lunch chain and we go there often for breakfast on Sundays with the whole family.

Anyway, the place is half full, and we're sitting at a booth in the back. Behind us are 3 old bags who appeared to be in their late 70s or 80s, talking abot how so and so is the only man who takes her out at night. I can only assume it's because he is the only one of her many suitors who has an unrestricted driver's license, but I digress.

Baby L was in a highchair and after he finished eating was joyfully making noises. At one point he was a little loud, and since my FIL had finished, he took him outside. He brought him back a few minutes later because he had an appointment and had to leave. Baby L lets out a small happy shriek and my MIL informs me that the old bag that was facing her kept shaking her head everytime he made a noise. I turned and gave her a, "are you f-ing kidding me" look, and that set them off. I stood up, grabbed Baby L and told them, "I'm so happy that your children were perfect and I'm sorry mine are not."

Do you know that the old bag who was shaking her head said to me, "Mine weren't perfect, but I kept them home until they were." Following that remark, I got up, leaving my MIL at the table. I'm sure she had something nice to say to them as well, but I hightailed it to the parking lot before I said something worse.

Old people, I hate you.

PMeg819

When you wrote First Watch, I knew. That place attracts old people like nothing else.

I know you feel my pain when you realize that October means the snowbitches are coming. Stay home ya old fucks and break your hips on the ice.

AuntFlo

I hate old people, too (in fact, one of them tried to kill me in a parking lot today and that renewed MY hatred) (and there is no way I could live in FL or I would for sure stab one of them). but I question why you apologized or engaged at all, if you had nothing to be sorry for.  Don't make that mistake again.

hmonkey

i don't apologize for my kid behaving like a kid. it's why i don't go over and yell at the neighbor when their dog is barking.

6fsn

Woman at Wendy's was giving us dirty looks Wednesday.  Max was a little out of control, but he wasn't crying or getting in anyone's way.  He was dancing around our table.  Whatever.  It's been a week and I don't give a crap.

6fsn

S/O olds: I asked a local facebook group for restaurant recs for my dad's 70th. Someone said "The olds really seem to like Der Dutchman."  I never really thought about it, but my dad is old.  He'd never eat there though.

Heffalump

I saw one old person almost back into another at the UPS Store at lunch, and then they both just sat there like this was an unsolvable problem.  Talk about slow reaction times.  I'm surprised they weren't still sitting there when I came out.

AuntFlo

6fsn said:

S/O olds: I asked a local facebook group for restaurant recs for my dad's 70th. Someone said "The olds really seem to like Der Dutchman."  I never really thought about it, but my dad is old.  He'd never eat there though.

I'd really like to go to Der Dutchman.  I'm an olds.  

6fsn

I've never actually eaten there, but MIL lurves it.

MesmrEwe

hmonkey said:

i don't apologize for my kid behaving like a kid. it's why i don't go over and yell at the neighbor when their dog is barking.

Ditto this - though they play their music loud more often than the dog barks, but I digress...  Part of the reason we've got fantastic neighbors is we all leave eachother be and not get involved unless it crosses a REAL world line. 

People like that forget that we're raising kids in a different era.  Back when she was raising her "perfect little angels" (something tells me if you did a court access search they aren't so "perfect"), it was not only legal to leave them at home while she went out, but it was also unquestioned on the disciplinary practices, they were allowed without reservation to use whatever worked.  Just remember as you age to be the little old lady who pulls the new Mom aside and gives a word of encouragement or compliment!!! 

lookame3639

I took my 7 year old son out to greater a for ice cream as a good job for doing so well in school treat. Itty bit was about a month old, probably less at the time and it was feeding time. She didn't get loud but she let out a whine and the old man in front of us turned and glared at me. Oh my bad old man I didn't realize kids and babies aren't allowed to make ANY noise.

my parents were watching my sisters kids and took them to wendys for lunch. Again they weren't loud, they were just talking. An old woman finished up her lunch then walked to my mom and told her "some people like to eat in quiet without noisy kids" what!? It's wendys not some 5 star restaurant!

I have a theory about old people. In their day children were to be seen and not heard...

mrsconn23

There's a difference between kids being kids and kids being monsters.  But you can't help the people who think all kids are monsters. 

The only time I've ever been uncomfortable about someone's reaction to my kid is when DefConn was ~4 months old and we had to fly to TX.  He did great the whole trip, but on the way home if he even made a peep, the guy in front of me would whip his head around to look/glare at me/him.  It made me so mad.  I stared right back at him once I realized what he was doing. 

short+sassy

So crazy!  I'm not a mother myself (nor do I want to be)...but there is nothing that gives me the "aawwwws...so cute", than a happy, smiling, gurgling baby...even if it comes with a few excited "shrieks".

[Deleted User]

I remember when I was little and my Mom had to get a prescription for my sick baby brother. While we waited for the meds we shopped for a few items. Poor baby brother was whimpering more than anything but when we were in line to pay for our groceries the elderly woman behind us in line snapped, "Can't you shut him up? I don't feel well."

My Mom was always a great communicator. "My child is sick and we're waiting for his prescription. If you don't like it then you can leave. No one has a gun to your head keeping you here!" The woman tried to yell at the cashier which made my Mom even angrier. "Don't you talk to my cashier. She is helping ME right now and I'll not have you talk to her like that. Why don't you just fucking leave!? LEAVE!!"

The woman finally just put down her basket and walked out and my Mom apologized to the cashier for what happened. Yeah, my Mom is my hero.

kmmssg

DH and I are 54 and 57.  We both actually quite enjoy the noises of happy babies in restaurants.  We do NOT enjoy kids running around in restaurants, kids crawling  under tables in restaurants, or parents who do not take the time to try to comfort/correct their shreiking, crying child in restaurants or other places.

My MILs pet peeve was adults who expected children to act like adults.  She was an elementary school teacher and a rockstar.  I share her pet peeve, and I was raised in the children are seen and not heard era.  I did not raise my kids the way I was raised.

I was a single mom for a long time and remember three times when I had to abandon my grocery shopping trips thanks to an unruly child.  There were no beatings, but there was consistent, firm discipline and it never happened again.  My kids were far from perfect, but they behaved in the grocery, kept their voices down and sat in their chairs at restaurants.  If they couldn't, we left.  They did that because we worked at teaching them and when they were old enough, we held them accountable for their actions.

I have tremendous empathy for parents who are engaged with their children and are trying to solve a situation.  Being a parent is hard stuff.  I get seriously pissed at lazy-ass parenting that I see every time I go to the grocery.  I do see some good parenting there too and some great kids, but I see people who aren't even trying.

About a month ago I was shopping and I could hear a young toddler getting cranky/tired?/unhappy.  It started out just kinda whiney, and I ended up behind this mom for awhile.  She did nothing to check on the child, see if something was wrong, or take a minute to calm the child down.  20 minutes later this poor kid (who is in a stroller) is in an all out crying/screaming fit while mom is doing absolutely nothing about it and that poor baby was so far gone there was no way he could have calmed  himself down.  He needed some attention and comforting and she did nothing.  Those are the things that piss me off.

Same store, a few months earlier - kid was probably 3 and both parents were there.  He is throwing a major tantrum about being in the cart so they get him out and let him walk.  He proceeds to fling himself down to the ground 2 or 3 times in each aisle because he didn't get something he wanted.  They just left him there.  People are pushing carts, coming around corners, and can't see this child on the ground.  Lazy ass parenting.

I am your biggest defender if you are engaged with your child and teaching them how to act in public.  They don't come knowing how to do that - they need the chance to learn.  And for the record, I also hate old people who think children should be seen and not heard.  Children are awesome and we all need to be more patient as kids are being kids.

 

NOLABridesmaid

I don't have a problem with kids in public, unless they're getting ready to step on my toes or run into me. Then I bend down, and ask them to stop running. I can care less if Mom or Dad give me the stink eye.

I love babies and they're going to make noises, so what's the big surprise.

loveislouder

I'm 23, but look like I'm almost 30.  I'm sitting at the grocery store, reading the store copy of the newspaper while I'm waiting for my breakfast sandwich.  This elderly lady comes up and starts screaming at me because my generation is so entitled and everything gets handed to us on a silver platter.

Like, excuse me? What?

Heffalump

loveislouder said:

I'm 23, but look like I'm almost 30.  I'm sitting at the grocery store, reading the store copy of the newspaper while I'm waiting for my breakfast sandwich.  This elderly lady comes up and starts screaming at me because my generation is so entitled and everything gets handed to us on a silver platter.

Like, excuse me? What?

It would have been awesome if your breakfast sandwich had arrived just then, on a silver platter.

Seriously, she sounds like she had dementia or something, but maybe she was just an old, puckered asshole.