Unsolicited parenting advice - your stories please!
We recently moved house, and whilst we love our new neighbourhood it seems we can't go outside our front door without getting un-asked-for comments on our parenting - not from the loads of other young mums and dads in the area mind you, but from the old greek men! (like they're the experts!)
Here's a sample of last weeks offerings:
- walking DD in the pram to get her to sleep so I'm zigzagging over the verge (grass-concrete-grass) cos she actually likes the bumps. Old guy coming the other way ' don't do that - you'll make him drunk~!' (since DD's not dressed head to toe in pink frills it must be a he!). DD cries cos I've stopped zigzagging ' see!"he says :doh:
- in the pram again on a rainy day with the rain cover on (ie clear plastic not shaded), stopped at the ATM and DD's getting grizzly, typical Melbourne weather - the sun suddenly comes out - old greek man steps up to me ' the sun is in his eyes! that's why he cry' - yeah right old man - but out!
- DP was walking DD in the ergo carrier and she was just nodding off when an old geezer sticks his nose right up to her ' is he comfortable like that? can he sleep in there?' - of course DD wakes up and cries!
- one from when DD was much smaller before she ate solids: in the Coles checkout, DD starts cracking it cos she's hungry. Old greek lady pipes up "why you let him cry? you bad woman!" - cos the only thing that will stop her is getting my bb's out in the checkout and I'm sure that wouldn't go down very well with you either!!!
Anyway, I'm sure most of you have copped some doozies along the way, and this is in no way a rant against elderly mediterranean folk (we do get just as many - 'oh how sweet!' and 'beuatiful baby' comments from the same population), but I wanted to start this thread as a light-hearted vent against all the unsolicited advice we get from 'well meaning' strangers......love to hear your stories :D
