Mom reflects on how she wished she had told that woman where to go.
It’s a common scenario: a child deemed “too old” for a pacifier sparks unsolicited judgment from strangers. But what happened to Emma Thompson takes mom-shaming to a whole new level. In her blog, she recounts an experience that will leave you shaking your head. Not only did a stranger feel entitled to comment on her two-year-old son’s pacifier use, but she also went as far as to snatch it right out of his mouth.
Emma was in the midst of a classic shopping meltdown at a local supermarket, struggling to keep her son calm while trying to finish her shopping. Things were going relatively well until her son insisted on heading back to the car. Using her mom tricks, she managed to keep him entertained—at least until she made the rookie mistake of letting him play on one of those quarter-operated ride machines as they exited the store.
(Quick note: Whoever invented those infernal contraptions deserves a stern talking to.)
Back to Emma. “I made the (rookie) choice of letting him play on the ride as we left the store. Everything was fine until I decided it had been long enough and it was time to go home,” she explains. “After dragging the kicking and screaming little gremlin from the ride, I popped his pacifier in his mouth to calm him down, which is exactly what those things are for.”
Just then, out of nowhere, an older woman approached them. Without warning, she yanked the pacifier from the unsuspecting child’s mouth while chastising Emma for being a “bad parent” for allowing him to use it. Emma was left in stunned silence, momentarily speechless as the woman walked off with her son’s precious pacifier in hand.
Oh, absolutely NOT.
To add insult to injury, the woman had the audacity to circle back and lecture Emma again. At that moment, Emma quickly grabbed the pacifier back and put it right back in her son’s mouth. “Honestly, I cringe now thinking about not disinfecting it first, but seeing her expression as I did so was oddly satisfying,” she quips.
It doesn’t matter how many grandchildren one has or how much experience they claim to offer; it’s one thing to give unsolicited advice about parenting, but outright touching someone else’s child and taking their belongings? That’s crossing a line.
“What frustrates me the most is that I was so shocked by the whole situation that I couldn’t voice my feelings. A complete stranger had the audacity to invade my space and take something from my son without any regard for my permission,” Emma explains. “I pride myself on my ability to speak up for myself, and to suddenly feel silenced made me furious.”
Don’t beat yourself up, mom. How can anyone prepare for such an outrageous moment? It’s impossible. You froze—your reaction was totally normal given the circumstances. “That rage I feel at myself for not standing up for my son still lingers with me to this day, months later,” Emma admits.
We hear you, Emma.
For more insightful stories and tips, check out our blog on home insemination kits, where we explore various parenting journeys.
In summary, it’s essential to remember that unsolicited advice and actions from strangers can cross boundaries that shouldn’t be crossed. Every parent has their methods, and the last thing anyone needs is interference that can lead to confusion and frustration.