Wednesday 21 March 2012

the weekly rant

I have to get something off my chest... I am so over mothers of small children (okay, not all, just some). But, just because I have kids - it doesn't mean I'm going to like yours! 

Yes, I am a mother myself, and I should be more tolerant, but, I just can't abide the over enthusiastic new mothers, who quite frankly act like total twats over their children.  You know the type.  They talk in a patronising sing-song, extra girly voice, even when pretending to tell off their evil child. They become mothering experts who look down their noses at parents who feed their kids jars of Heinz, or give their kids plastic mass produced toys to play with. 

A good example of this 'type' is the character Rosie, from the brilliant novel (and ABC adaptation), The Slap, by Christos-Tsiolkas. I wanted to slap her!

On a long haul flight from Dubai, late last year, my family and I were sitting behind one of these annoying mothers.  She let her child have one long screaming tantrum for most of the 14 hour flight.  At one point, I offered to give her son a lolly pop, thinking it might give us all 10 minutes of relief - and she looked at me in horror and said, "My son is far too young for lollies!" For God's sake, the kid was at least 4?!!  She then went on to ignore the screaming (acting as if this behaviour was perfectly normal) and looks of frustration from her fellow passengers (some with hand over their ears).

Then, in a waiting room yesterday, I had a drooling, crawling baby all over my shoes, in my bag and basically annoying everyone.  The loving mother just gazed on happily, not once trying to stop her child invading everyone's personal space.  Sorry lady, but I don't want sticky baby hands on my things!

 Manners, discipline, cleanliness, consideration - is this too much to ask?


Melissa George as Rosie (The Slap ABC)

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