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Why is it so annoying?, benign comments from strangers

maeby View Member Profile	03/09/2010, 06:51 PM Post #1
Posts: 356 Joined: 1-March 09
Member
Why is it that I get so annoyed by harmless comments from strangers? For the last 2 months or so (DD is 5 months old now), grandmotherly strangers in the street have been saying to me "oh, she's teething" every time my daughter cries in public. I smile and nod and carry on, but really, it drives me bananas. As far as I can tell DD is not actually teething; usually I know that she's crying because she's hot, tired, hungry or whatever. Objectively, I know that the "teething" comments are just empty chitchat, and that if anything they are a nice way of people being able to say "it's okay, you're not a bad mother, I know that your baby is crying for a reason that you can't help", and perhaps something to do with older women fondly recalling their younger days when their children were babies too. No one is being critical, no one is giving me stupid advice, so why is it so annoying? A similar example, which no one has ever said to me, but a good friend of mine gets it all the time, is "you have your hands full, don't you?". Does it annoy you too? Why? The best I can come up with is that other people assuming they are experts and that they know what is wrong with my baby better than I do is irritating.

Avogadro View Member Profile	03/09/2010, 09:00 PM Post #2
Posts: 1,609 Joined: 23-February 09
Advanced Member
QUOTE "oh, she's teething" well its a damn site better than "what a whingy, annoying baby you have there" People are being nice. Get over it. QUOTE Why is it that I get so annoyed by harmless comments from strangers? Because you're an over sensitive first time mother.

red door View Member Profile	03/09/2010, 09:05 PM Post #3
Posts: 11,597 Joined: 21-September 09
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QUOTE (Avogadro @ 03/09/2010, 09:00 PM) well its a damn site better than "what a whingy, annoying baby you have there" People are being nice. Get over it. Because you're an over sensitive first time mother. yes...BUT, you are not alone, there are plenty of precious mothers out there. Just hang around here long enough and you'll fit right in.

Alpha_Chook View Member Profile	03/09/2010, 09:07 PM Post #4
Posts: 3,171 Joined: 2-September 09
Alpha_chook
I always get "He looks like a real little boy doesn't he"...generally from older people...I feel like dressing him in pink one day and see if I get "She looks like a real little girl"....

Super Cat View Member Profile	03/09/2010, 09:14 PM Post #5
Posts: 2,298 Joined: 31-July 10
Advanced Member
QUOTE (Avogadro @ 03/09/2010, 09:00 PM) well its a damn site better than "what a whingy, annoying baby you have there" People are being nice. Get over it. Unlike your good self It irks me too. People either say really stupid things or totally obvious things and I have no idea why they do it either. Example of obvious: "How many kids do you have?" Five "Oh five kids! That's a lot of kids. How many boys and girls?" They are all boys "Really?! All boys?" Yes, all boys "So no girls then?" Actually that was an example of stupid and obvious lol

JAPN View Member Profile	03/09/2010, 09:16 PM Post #6
Posts: 2,059 Joined: 14-September 09 From: Melbourne
Advanced Member
The older I get Op the more annoying other people are! The other day my threenager was screaming and carrying on in the shopping centre and was walking 2 steps behind me. An older lady stopped and started saying 'oh..this little girl is lost'. My own mother catasophises everything so I get where this woman is coming from and I know she meant well. Didn't make it any less irritating though. I do have two older kids (6 & 8) and no longer get comments about them. Maybe if they were having a tanti in the shopping centre though!!

Nora. View Member Profile	03/09/2010, 09:19 PM Post #7
Posts: 7,604 Joined: 25-June 07
+
Honestly, I wonder if there is anything I can say to another mother than won't annoy her.

Silvergirl12 View Member Profile	03/09/2010, 09:19 PM Post #8
Posts: 393 Joined: 1-December 09
Member
I always get comments about how small my DD is for her age (she's petite and always has been). I have even been asked if I feed her enough, as if I am depriving the poor child of food. You just learn to tune out and ignore people in time. People find babies to be an easy conversation starter and most don't mean to be annoying!

red door View Member Profile	03/09/2010, 09:20 PM Post #9
Posts: 11,597 Joined: 21-September 09
++
QUOTE (Awesome Cat @ 03/09/2010, 09:14 PM) Unlike your good self It irks me too. People either say really stupid things or totally obvious things and I have no idea why they do it either. Example of obvious: "How many kids do you have?" Five "Oh five kids! That's a lot of kids. How many boys and girls?" They are all boys "Really?! All boys?" Yes, all boys "So no girls then?" Actually that was an example of stupid and obvious lol OMG, someone making conversation, who the hell do they think they are?

KT2005 View Member Profile	03/09/2010, 09:21 PM Post #10
Posts: 422 Joined: 30-August 05
Member
I'm okay until I get physically stopped in the mall and told to put a hat on my baby It's happened More Than Once Always the Elderly...

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