Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Observations

The other day a little girl was looking at books in the front of the store.  She turned to tell her mom something and her mom wasn't there.  She was looking around but she couldn't see her mom anywhere so I asked her what her mom looked like.

"She has Lulu lemon pants," she said.

That's it.  What kind of little girl doesn't tell you what her mom's hair colour is, or what colour she's wearing?  Brand names?  Really?  But that's what she said.

She ended up finding her mom right away after that, thank goodness.  Her mom wasn't a very nice woman.  She didn't pay any attention to her little girl calling out, "Mommy!  Mommy!" at the front of the store and it's not like she couldn't hear her.

I will grant the little girl was a whiny thing, who when they got to the till asked over and over and over, "Mommy can I have a book?  Mommy can I have a book?" without even enough time for her mother to answer.  Very annoying.  When I hear a child do that I immediately assume they are spoiled and used to getting what they want.  Otherwise why would they keep asking?  But instead of giving her the standard distracted "No" answer, her mother replied with, "No.  I know, I'm a terrible mother, not buying you anything.  Not giving you what you want," complete with a knowing look to whoever was helping her at the till.  (I hate that.  It creates violent urges in me.)

Then the little girl switched tactics.  Not getting a book?  Fine.  Bookmarks are smaller, more attainable perhaps.  Her mom denied her again with the same phrases...but then she asked if we had Twilight bookmarks.  The little girl got so excited - but then the mother just bought one for herself.  She was going out of her way to buy the things the little girl wanted for herself.  There was a malicious tone to everything she did, directed towards her child.  I didn't like her one bit.  She was a mean woman who took out her meanness on her little girl because her child was small and powerless.  Those are the kind of people I want to punch in the face until they bleed.  Copiously.

And then give her little girl to someone who gives a damn and will raise her to be a healthy, functional adult.  Because this woman certainly won't.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

My heart goes out to that little girl. I wish I could find something to say in this type of situation that brings life and joy to the little girl. Do you have any suggestions?

Tim

Duckie23 said...

That's incredibly malicious!

I hear that a lot, "I know I'm a terrible mother". Mostly when a kid tries to buy an "M" rated game, they have to get their parents. I then have to explain to them why it's "M" rated. (Blood, gore, sex etc) And I usually get, "yeah yeah I know I'm a terrible mother". Just makes me want to scratch my head and wonder if some people really do think before talking/acting.

j said...

I'm not sure how I feel about hitting women myself. But if you wanted to do it I'd probably trip her for you, and turn my back to what ever happened to befall her once she was down. There's no call to be maliciuos like that to a child. Alternately spoiling and tormenting them teaches them to be monsters once they've grown up.