“Yeah, before you abuse, criticise and accuse, walk a mile in my shoes”
Sometimes I want to roar that.
From the top of my lungs in the middle of the street.
I get tired of pretending I don’t see the ignorance that is all around me. The stares. The tuts.The whispers.
I would love to scream.
I don’t ever.
Instead I focus on my son, who is over stimulated. He is screaming. Kicking. Biting. Spiting.
Now, this is the bit I will never understand.
“Jayous, can’t you control him?”
“Tut. Tut. Bold child”
“Well, my lad wouldn’t get away with that”
“Spoiled little yolk he is”
“That’s some parenting skills, right there”
How in good fuck is that helpful?
I mean what goes through these people’s minds?
They assess the scene unfolding.
A young baby in a buggy. A child roughly around 9, is going red because he is embarrassed. Another child,’the bold one’ is screaming, crying, kicking.Clearly he is upset…no? Is that not obvious?
The mother, mid 30’s, is kneeling behind ‘the bold’ child, rubbing his back and trying her best to slightly rock him. She is sweating. She is telling her 9 year old to take the buggy towards the door, to save him some embarrassment. He is asking is she ok. She tells him go and wait by the door. She even manages to wink at the child. She calls him a “good boy”, he gladly goes but watches from a safe distance. The mother is telling her ‘bold boy’ to breath, she is doing deep breathing with him. She is softly telling him “it’s ok buddy, mommy is here” she rubs his back, in the same spot using her knuckles.
Does this scene really imply ‘bold, spoilt child, bad mother’?
“Yeah, before you abuse, criticise and accuse, walk a mile in my shoes.”