At the dentist yesterday

[B00]

I'm sat in the waiting room, waiting to go in for a filling, and in barged 3 of the chavviest (that a word?) women I'd ever seen with a toddler boy in a pram told the receptionist their details and noisily sat down.

Anyway, after glancing up I noticed the toddler boy has plastercasts on both his legs and was wearing the soft velcro sandel type booty things they dole out at the hospital. It brought back memories for me as my eldest daughter had a condition called talipes as a baby (club feet) and i was assuming he had the same condition. Bearing all this in mind, perhaps i was paying them more attention than i normally would folk, however I was utterly gobsmacked and appalled when after taking him out of his pushchair and he toddled to play with something, they yelled "c'mere fat feet" then proceeded to pee themselves laughing at their obviously enormous wit.

I remember being really upset when my eldest daughter was in the casts, and with this in mind perhaps i am super sensitive about it, but would it strike anyone else as horribly cruel to laugh at your child like this? I never did suss which of the 3 women this child belonged to, don't suppose it mattered really as they all thought it really funny, and continued to call him "fat feet" until i was thankfully called in to have my filling done, before i smacked all 3 of them in the mouth.

Would anyone else find it funny to laugh at your own child this way?

[B00]

incidently, this has played on mind since it happened. The poor little mite, being constantly laughed at by his mum and her scrotey mates or relatives. It makes my blood boil.

[zzxxee]

OMG !!!!! there are some bloody vile critters in this world !!!!!!!!
why are some people ever allowed kids ?

[sara3]

fair do's.. I would have been fuming, too.

unfortunately there's no skills involved with becoming a mother :o/

[B00]

Morning ladies.

I'm slightly reassured that i wasn't over reacting on this one. I'm a bit of a softy with kids (as Mini Boo can testify!), and the thought of even laughing at something like that horrified me.

[society]

This is the normal behaviour of chavs; what do you expect...

For all you know one of them might have something to do with the childs' feet being in the cast.

[Barmaid]

Poor thing.

Look on the bright side B00. With a bit of luck that little boy may have his condition sorted, whereas his mother will probably always be a brainless, witless chav.

[zzxxee]

never a more true thing said Barmaid !!

[ummmm]

No...it's not funny. As far as I'm concerned it goes against every instinct.

[AB Editor]

Just to put a spanner amongst the pigeons - do you think that they were trying to normalize the kid with "banter"? Maybe this is how the grown-ups communicate at home anyway and the kid has an understanding that he's actually been treated equally because of little jabs like this.

However, I usually think that "banter" is bullying dressed up as "Oh I was only joking!"

All the best,

Spare

[zzxxee]

dont be stupid ed !!!!

[Old_Geezer]

Teasing & joshing were a large part of my childhood. Surely it's no big deal, helps stop you taking things too seriously. Well it should have anyway but I think it's worn off now ;-)

[tiggerblue10]

No, it most certainly isn't funny. These women sound hideous.

I saw a newborn on Embarrassing Bodies last week who had club-foot. The mother got very upset when the doctor was trying to move the foot and the baby was crying but she was re-assured that the crying was because the baby was probably just hungry and not in any pain. I must admit I got quite emotional watching it.

[WELSHYORKIE]

I'm with you on this one, Boo

[Old_Geezer]

Um... yes Ed is correct, and yes you are all over-reacting by a light year or two.

[society]

"However, I usually think that "banter" is bullying dressed up as "Oh I was only joking!"

Then, there must be lots of bullies on here. :-)

[tiggerblue10]

Not sure about that Ed. I certainly wouldn't do it to my child anyway.

[Sqad]

Yepp....I agree BOO...a bit insensitive, but the lasting effect of those comments pale into insignificance compared to the upbringing that this kid will encounter.

[Bbbananas]

I sort of see Ed's point, and what he's getting at, but this is a small child who more than likely only takes in the teasing and nasty name calling.

Poor thing. I agree Boo, it's not nice and I would have wanted to have said something to the rotten women - but no doubt would have got a smack in the gob if I had done.

[mazie]

I would have been hard pressed not to say something BOO and like you I would be seething still

[zzxxee]

agreed society x