Since yesterday was supposedly one of the last (and first I hasten to say!) days of nice weather (until next August!), I brought Suzanne to the park where she did very American things like play in the dirt and put chestnuts in her mouth. We were having fun scampering around in the dead (note I say dead and not fallen) leaves when she took off down the path in the park. I noticed quite a few of those "oh how cute and oh how inappropriate looks" but I just ignored them since my daughter was so happy.
Then a couple comes walking down the path pushing a baby carriage. The man looks at my daughter - on all fours, on the ground, in the middle of the path -then at me with a look of pity and says, "Tu es grande maintenant. Faut que tu te lèves". (You're big now. You have to get up). As I grated my teeth (and controlled my trigger happy middle finger), I responded that she wasn't ready and then walked away.
When I got home, I once again panicked that my 16 month old will never walk and managed to calm myself down, remembering that my daughter speaks better than most 2 year olds...in 2 languages no less! And then the great Dr. Sears had the perfect words for a panicking young mother : late walkers tend to be more social and less accident prone. So, Monsieur in the park, a big pfff to you.
I know there are people who give unwarranted, unsolicited, unneeded parental advice everywhere, but it would make it so much easier if I could just blame it on the French.
Saturday 22 September 2007
Pfff to the man in the park
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5 comments:
Good for you for letting her crawl around as she pleases... that's what being a kid is all about (at least in my opinion)! My mom has always said that the greatest advice she ever received when she was a young mom was that we are all born and subsequently live on our own time... we talk when we're ready, walk when we're ready, leave home when we're ready. There's no rush, and life should be just plain enjoyed!
Well said, I really like the pfff part.
What a total beep beep beep! How dare he say that to your daughter? Good job on not totally letting loose all the expletives under the sun.
Pfff to that man!! That's awful! Who does he think he is? You're right, you just have to ignore stuff like that -- people can be so rude and nosy, sticking their noses in where they don't belong. Sounds to me like you handled it really well. I would have felt the same!
Don't worry about Suzanne at all! She's got the most incredible social skills I have ever seen for a child that young! And as you said, she will be bilingual which accounts for a whole lot.
The walking thing will come. It's just a matter of time! ;o)
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