When I went to Chic-fil-A for lunch, I was standing at the counter waiting to order. Suddenly, something was touching and pushing on the back of my knees. Thankfully, I was very close to the counter, steadied myself and looked to see what was on me.
(Exbf chose to eat out and where to eat rather than eat a peanut butter sandwich, water, cherries, blueberries and strawberries at my house.)
A baby, probably not quite one-year-old was rolling around on the floor, pulling on me. I held onto the counter and told the mother that Easter Sunday a child knocked me to the floor by running in church, that I had knee and back problems. The woman who was with her husband and other children said, "She only fell into you and tried to catch herself. She did NOT knock you down. She didn't do it on purpose." She was so unconcerned. I did not accuse the baby of malicious intent or actions. This child, however, had managed to hit me behind my knees, just enough to collapse my knees against the counter. I could have easily have fallen.
If my child were all over someone's feet and legs, I would rush to pull my child away, apologize, and keep my baby held close. She just stood there, unmoved and not moving. I was so astounded that I said nothing because my reaction would be over the top even if it were well-deserved.
Yesterday, I went into the AT&T store and was ordered to move to another part of the store for service. Of course, she told me that I was not eligible for a plan, which I was. She refused to look on their website because she knew. NO, she does not. I tried to get the young woman to help me where I sat. She told me to go over there and she would get me a chair. She brought back a rolly desk chair with the seat at a 45 degree angle to the floor. I saw her flip it up and figured she had made an adjustment.
Before I sat in the chair, I told her she needed to hold the chair so it would not roll from under me. She barely placed her hand on the chair. When I sat down, the seat flipped down and the chair rolled back. Once again, I was on the floor.
An employee and another man, maybe an employee grabbed me above my elbows and lifted me with all their might, refusing to let me go as I requested. So, the hurt my torn rotator cuffs. They were scraping my already-injured knees. After, was on my feet, I still had to walk a long way to the door, The employee insisted on helping me. Thank goodness, exbf was driving.
I have complained.
Your turn
Do you or did you allow your non-walking baby practice walking in public places, pulling on people, knocking into them? Would you act like someone was being mean to your baby if you commented about a kid knocking you down? If I had not been close to the counter, I might have fallen onto the baby.
As an adult, do you know better than to drag a fallen person to her feet without finding out about any injury? Do you know to keep your hands off a fallen person when you have not been asked to help? Do you know to stop if someone tells you to stop touching or pulling on them, dragging someone to er feet?
No. I would NEVER let my kids touch another person I always tried to keep hold of my babies/toddlers or strap them in a stroller/grocery cart in public. That said, one son was quite the escape artist. That said, he would never run into a person. He had more interest in all the shiny objects! As we had just one vehicle for a good part of our early marriage, we would often do errands together when dh was between trips, alternating at each stop who stayed in the car with which kids. Kids learned that going in to businesses was a privilege...but to be frank, they still acted up from time to time. As teens/tweens, they still do, but more in the manner of sullen silence.
ReplyDeleteMeg,
DeleteI tried to keep my kids well under my control. My son was a runner. Plus, I had an infant in my arms when he was two. Kids intent on shiny objects are the ones that almost knock me down.
Of course, mine acted up, too. But, I did not let it go on, oblivious to their actions.
I would never try to pull up a person who had fallen. In fact, I would insist they stay where they were until we could figure out what would be the best way to proceed. That was one scary outing for you with that baby rolling around under your legs. The mother should have apologized and kept the child right next to her.
ReplyDeletetana50,
DeleteExactly! I needed a chair to help myself up without injury. What if I fell on the baby? No, she let the child tug on me. I am quite sure they did not wash her hands after she had them all over my feet and the floor.