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Monday, April 4, 2011

And the award goes to

Saturday I was working in the shop, it was a busy day there, usually there was 4-6 shoppers in the store at a time. Shortly before lunch a much older woman came in with a small girl who looked to be between the ages of three and five. 

The woman started browsing the isles, as the girl was pulling one thing after another off the shelves and holding it for a minute and then putting it on the floor. I didn't think much about it until I saw her pulling one book after another after another onto the floor. We have hundreds of children's books so that was not going to be a quick clean up. 

I walked over and told her that she could read them if she would like, but once she was done with ONE she would need to put it back on the shelf before grabbing another. To which the small girl replied "Your not my mom, and my mom said I could play with ALL of them." Really Sassy pants were going to play this game?

The phone was ringing so I walked away, the next thing I know she was sitting in a Boppy vibrating chair that was intended for infants. So again I walked over to her and told her that she could get hurt and she is more then welcome to sit in one of the many chairs in the children's play area. So what does she do, but picks up the boppy chair and takes it to the play area parks it in front of the t.v. and sits in it again. The chairs weight limit is 25 pounds, the poor chair that is normally suspended in the air was now sitting on the floor.

By this point I knew this was going to be a real fun time with little sassy pants, and I was ready for them to pack it up and move on. I walked over and told her that I had already told her once that she couldn't sit in this chair, and it was for babies and to please stand up... and what does she do...
looks at me rolls her eyes and mimics me "I told you when you were over there that you cannot sit in this chair, it's for babies, please stand up". (said in a high pitched voice while shrugging her shoulders)

So I walked over to the woman who she came in with, I didn't think it was her mother as the woman looked  much to old to have a small child, so i figured she was the caregiver, or the grandmother. Many grandmothers shop in our store, and they tend to be softies, and don't know how to tell the children not to touch things they cannot play with, and buy them way more then they need. 

I found the lady and said "excuse me, the small girl you brought with you has now taken almost ALL of the books off the wrack and thrown them on the floor, and is sitting in an infant vibrating chair, that is much to small for her, I'm worried she may get hurt." Honestly I wasn't worried at all, but it sounded better that way. The woman replied "O don't worry she's a tough one she won't get hurt"... 
are you kidding me?!?!
Obviously you too are related and I'm guessing you are grandma sassy pants and the apple sure doesn't fall far from the tree.

I kindly informed her that the little girl would need to get out of the chair because again, it's for BABIES, not pre-schoolers. She made a short snippy exhale, walked over to the girl and said "The lady said you can't sit in there or you will break it, so get out, and sit on the floor to watch the movie." Sassy Pants turned around and said "No, I like this seat." The woman replied "Don't make Mommy upset, just get out of the seat"... 

Wait, shut the front door!!!!!!!..... did she just refer to herself as mommy??? Clearly that must be her first name, there is no way this woman was her actual mother. Don't get me wrong I have nothing against waiting a few years to get pregnant or even having children "late in life".. but this woman.. she was a few birthdays short of polyester pants, and a 99 cent breakfast at Bob Evan's. 

Sassy pants just continued to sit in the chair and put her hands over her ears to pretend not to hear... I was thinking how nice it would be if that actually worked and I could just put my hands over my eyes and she wouldn't be there anymore. Her Mother looked at me and said "Do you mind if she just sits in it until I'm done shopping"... Well if I didn't mind do you think I would have went thru all of this to begin with, I walked away disgusted at her parenting skills, or the lack thereof.

She walked over to sassy pants and picked the chair up and kind of dumped her out it, and then sassy pants let out the fingernails on the chalkboard kind of scream, not because she was hurt but because she didn't get her way. So she started pulling on her mothers shirt and hitting her. Then she told her mother "Your so mean to me, now you have to buy me a new toy". O c'mon kid do go pullin that one.

Her mom said "Sure pick what you want.".... wow thats teaching her great life skills. One day she can use that method in the workplace after she gets a bad 60 day review, she can just scream in her boss's face and let him know that now, he will need to make her happy by promoting her... see how well that flys.

I had other things to deal with so I walked away to take care them, and check out customers who were done shopping. I could here toys falling, and her screaming the whole time though. Finally the mother daughter team approached the cash register with a few things. The mom paid with a credit card, which meant now I could ask her for I.D. and then figure out how old she really was, it turns out granny was.....are you ready for this.... born in 1952, which means  she has a pretty big birthday next year, do they give AARP discounts at daycare facilities?

The ended up having 5 different transactions because every time she would pay and sign, sassy pants would find something else she couldn't live without and throw and huge fit, when her mother said no.. so she bought it.

When the mother said it was time to go, I really thought the circus had moved in, it took her about 5-8 minutes of chasing her around the store to actually catch her. Sassy pants even tried to throw a sit N spin ( O a sit N spin that just brought back some memories).. at her mother. 

At this point everyone in the store was watching her, I walked toward the back to show someone where the bathroom was, and thats when the mother walked out the door OF THE STORE, with sassy pants in the front window, and got in her car and pulled away.

I was freaking out.. like what the heck to I do now.. The little girl was flipping out screaming "Mommy, mommy, mommy, come back."... I ran out the front door and realized the woman was still in the parking lot, and parking in another space that couldn't be seen from the front of the store. 

She got out of her car, and I yelled to her "You CANNOT leave this child unattended in the store, I cannot be responsible for her safety." She said " It's ok I'm coming back, thats usually the only way I can get her to come with me, if I scare her like that.".... 
I was blown away, I couldn't believe this, do people really do this?

She came in the store, and from the look of the girls face I knew the show wasn't over, she had lived this song and dance many times before, her mother grabbed her, as she was kicking and screaming and they went out the door. As soon as the door closed behind her, the woman at the counter said "Thank God, I was worried that girls grandmother might have a heart attack, if she kept trying to chase her around the store." I told her that was actually the girls mother NOT grandmother... she said "whaaaaaaat? By that age I figured your eggs would dry up and fall out!"
As I was ringing up a few customers I saw the woman outside with sassy pants have screaming matches about getting in the car, and then sassy pants would run down the sidewalk, and her mother would go after her, this continued a few times.

I have never, seen such a performance before, and I worked Labor and delivery.. you see some whacked out parents up in there.

Do they not teach parenting seminars in the senior Center?





10 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow. I am just speechless. It is horrific the way some people are raising their children recently!

Steph said...

Wow. Just Wow.

My MOTHER was born in 1952. She loves her grandbabies for certain, but I cannot imagine her having a pre-schooler.

That's not even the worst part of your story! Just the utter disrespect of her mother, you, all people.

I am sitting her shaking my head just picturing this scenario. No wonder kids are so screwed up.

You need to start a crazycakes blog edition! This mom/daughter fits the crazycakes bill! hahahha

xoxox

Megan Ashley said...

Wow, this was quite a story. I cannot believe some parents teaching techniques. RIDICULOUS!!!!

Crazy Shenanigans-JMO said...

I am speechelss. Like OMG! First of all, that's pretty old to have a child that small! Second of all, if that would have been me and it was 1984 all over again my mom would have already smacked my butt and I would have never even picked up that chair to even think about sitting in!

Mrs. Mama said...

hahaha love this.

Gina said...

Shut. Up. I am, for once, speechless.

Momma StJ said...

my eyes got wider and wider as I read that post. Insane

Megan said...

Oh my gosh, I can't believe that she let her get away with all of that! She is going to grow up to be one horrible teenager. I can't believe that you kept your cool...I would have screamed!!

Kim said...

Oh my. As I was reading I couldn't believe that more and more kept happening. I cannot believe the lady was that old with a small child! Craaaazy. She obviously is too old and tired to properly raise her.

CookingwithVictoria said...

Oh My GOODNESS!!!!! I would love to say "you have got to be kidding me" but you know what, I am kind of not surprised!!!! There is a major lack of "parenting" skills going on, and it is sickening! People need to do some serious butt-whoopin' and teach their kids to behave and be respectful!