Social Question

Dutchess_III's avatar

Have you ever been in a situation where something happened that you thought was funny, but foggie people around you were sniffing in disapproval?

Asked by Dutchess_III (47127points) July 29th, 2010

When my daughter was barely three we were in the laundry mat at one time, and she had to go potty. She started to pull her pants down before we go to the bathroom. I stopped her, and when we got into the bathroom I said, “Honey. You just can’t pull your pants down in public.”

After we were done, we went back to the laundry. I was folding clothes when I happened to glance down at my daughter. She was standing there, with her pants down around her ankles, looking at me like, “Yes I can pull my pants down! See?” I cracked up and told her to pull her pants up. As I was chuckling I happened to glance at this older lady and she was giving my daughter and me the most disgusted look. I wanted to smack her! “She’s just a kid, lady!!” Makes me wonder what kind of a mom she was, if she was a mom.

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33 Answers

MissA's avatar

You’re the mom…you are the one determining what is appropriate. Perhaps the lady was thinking about the safety factor.

Don’t judge her…and, don’t wonder about what she’s thinking about you and your daughter. There is no point. No good will come of it.

Dutchess_III's avatar

@MissA It was inappropriate, but lasted only a second, and it made me laugh! It’s not like I was letting her run around the laundry mat with no pants on. Then I could understand people looking askance at me. Then I could understand “safety” being an issue.

MissA's avatar

But, some “older people”, are always looking for something to define what’s wrong with the world now. Who knows exactly what she was thinking. But, my answer remains…don’t concern yourself with her. Just know that some folks are like that. And, enjoy whatever spontaneous chuckles you can find with your little punkin’. Those times are precious…and, are so short-lived.

YARNLADY's avatar

No, I’m usually at the receiving end of that. I see people doing things all the time that they think is funny, and I do not. One example is hanging out of the car window while driving down the street, and another is throwing little pieces of chocolate at strangers in the mall. They fall on the floor laughing, but I frown.

Dutchess_III's avatar

Well, it was 30 years ago, so I guess I’ll get over it.

@YARNLADY There are very few inappropriate things that adults do that can be considered funny. But….I’ll take the chocolate!

YARNLADY's avatar

@Dutchess_III No, I’m talking about gooey chocolate thrown on your clothes after you pass them by. If it hits in a particularly embarrassing place, they laugh even harder. The next thing you sit down on gets goey chocolate on it too. I watched them laugh when someone who had been gooed sat down near by, and when they left, another person got gooed when she sat down in the chocolate as well. They were nearly hysterical about that double hit.

Dutchess_III's avatar

Of course that’s not funny. I take it they were idiot kids. I hope someone turned them in.

YARNLADY's avatar

@Dutchess_III It only took the mall security about 15 minutes, and at least that many gooey people, to respond.

I also frown when I hear everyone using swear words. I’m trying to get used to the idea that an adorable three year old saying the F word or a-hole is normal, but it’s completely against the way I was raised.

Dutchess_III's avatar

@YARNLADY I would not find a child saying the F word or a-hole or several other cuss words the slightest bit funny. don’t even like hearing the word “butt” come from a kid. I was careful not to cuss around my kids, although an occasional “damn” would slip out, under my breath, but you know those little Spock Eared kids…. My ex, however, wasn’t so careful and it bothered me. One time I was at a hair salon, and my then-3-year old son accidentally knocked over my coke. He looks at the mess and says, “Damn!” It’s not fair! My husband cussed around them, but my son decided to use the one word I very softly used on occasion. It was funny just because it was so unexpected, but he was told to say “darn,” instead. I never really had a problem with bad words coming out of my kid’s mouths.

shpadoinkle_sue's avatar

I wasn’t sure if I was gonna say this or not because I didn’t know if it counted or not. I was babysitting with my friend for a couple getting married. They had a 7 year old and a 3 year old. The 3 year old wasn’t allowed to go the reception so we had to watch her. She kept running towards the outdoor reception and I had to keep her away. That sounds bad, but that’s what I was told to do. Eventually, we did it so often, she turned it into a game. She’d run towards them, I’d get in front of her and she’d run back to where we were sitting. She did that scream/laugh that little kids do and everyone at the reception kept staring at us. I thought it was funny that she turned it into a game and didn’t freak out.

Dutchess_III's avatar

@py_sue You handled it well! But was she disrupting the reception I wonder?

shpadoinkle_sue's avatar

@Dutchess_III I thought she should have been included in the reception. It was almost like she was only there for the pictures. Maybe some people felt like she was, good point.

Dutchess_III's avatar

I think she should have been there too. Stuffy people.

Cruiser's avatar

I don’t hang around “foggie” people and out in public I never let anyone stifle me from having a huge laugh or two and if around obvious “foggie” people it only makes the moment that much more hilarious!.

MissA's avatar

@Dutchess_III I can’t help but wonder…if this was 30 years ago, why is this in the forefront of your mind?

Dutchess_III's avatar

We were having a discussion on kids on another thread, and I just thought of this. I don’t remember which discussion it as in. It’s not in the “forefront” of my mind. It’s just a story about my kids when they were little. I have lots of them and I pull them out at different times for different reasons.

shpadoinkle_sue's avatar

@Dutchess_III My mom does that all the time. Her favorite one is when I was 18 month old. We were at a resturaunt and I flung a pickle slice across the room and it hit another person’s table. My mom went and picked it up and said “My pickle!”. She loves that one.

Dutchess_III's avatar

:) I thought that when my kids grew up I’d never have anything to write about again. Sniff. But then I had grandkids!! Yay!

perspicacious's avatar

If it’s funny, laugh. Don’t worry about looks from grumpy old folks.

Dutchess_III's avatar

I just kind of feel sorry for people like that. They seem so grim and humorless. I can’t help but wonder if they’re happy. I can’t help but wonder if they missed out on all the funny little things their kids did because they’re so anal and disapproving all the time.

Ron_C's avatar

When my oldest daughter was four she asked my wife (a maternity nurse) how babies got out of their mother’s belly. My wife explained it in a matter of fact manner and that was the end of it.

I guess my daughter digested the facts and was happy that she learned something new. We were at the grocery store check out counter when my daughter decided to share her new found knowledge with the clerk. She said,in her very loud child’s voice, “I know where babies come from, a mother’s bagina”. My wife and I lost it but some of the good Catholic ladies in line were not amused.

Dutchess_III's avatar

@Ron_C Exactly! Why the hang ups with nudity and sex and vaginas and where babies come from and all of that??

truecomedian's avatar

This old lady farted really loud in the check out line, I thought it was a riot, the cashier gave me a off look.

Dutchess_III's avatar

@truecomedian That’s kind of mean, especially if she was an “old” lady. What’s so funny about a poot, anyway?

truecomedian's avatar

But it was a reall big fart for such a small woman, sounded like a Motorcycle, think she must have shit herself. Don’t worry, I will get what I deserve when I am a old woman one day.

Dutchess_III's avatar

I guess I have never understood what is so funny about flatulation. The poor women must have been mortified.

truecomedian's avatar

God was high when he invented the fart.

lazydaisy's avatar

@truecomedian

just reading about it made me crack up

Ron_C's avatar

@Dutchess_III I never got the humor in fart jokes either. However, one of my granddaughters is a champion burp-er. I don’t think it’s funny but I am in awe of here persistence and sound level.

Dutchess_III's avatar

I hate it when people burp loudly. It’s even worse when they do it on purpose, especially coming from a female. It’s so crass.

shpadoinkle_sue's avatar

I knew someone who thougth that burping was worse ettiquette than farting. I try not to do either.

Ron_C's avatar

@Dutchess_III what can I say? She’s a teenager. I think she’s past the super burping stage. She is now a vegetarian and learned to cook because the rest of her family is not.

She was a rebel from the day she was born and I think that she will always follow a different and slightly twisted path. She used to irritate me, now she has become very interesting.

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