To the beyotch who scoffed at me at Target today:
Dear Beyotch,
When I turned down the baby food aisle and saw you I had no idea what an impact you would have on my day. I was just minding my own business with my son, looking to use a coupon on the one baby food item I buy. Yes, that’s right, I feed my son Gerber chicken sticks. And I do this because he eats virtually no other meat and very little in the way of other protein foods and so occasionally my husband and I resort to these stupid little wieners because he loves them and will eat them. Not that this is any of your business.
But how is it that you have the audacity to watch me put a few jars in my cart, pick up the item yourself to look at it, and then almost immediately make a sound somewhere between an “eew” and a “yuck” before promptly replacing it on the shelf? Did that seriously just happen? Are you not also standing in the baby food aisle? And, just out of curiosity, was it something on the label that you found so offensive or was it just the unappetizing appearance of said wieners? Not that it matters. Do you often look at what others are eating in restaurants and if you don’t find it appealing you make faces at them or say something along the lines of, “Oh, that is so GROSS! I can’t believe you’re eating THAT!”? I’m just wondering, just wondering if this blatant rudeness is common for you or if it only surfaces when you are passing judgment on how others raise their children. Because, you know, that’s what us moms really need is to be judged while shopping at Target with our toddler. In general I think we could all use a little more criticism of how we are doing as parents, especially from total strangers, and I certainly think it’s great for us, as moms, to be totally unsupportive of one another because of course society gives us all the support we need, right? Yeah. Right. Wait, are you even a mom? Where is your child? Why the hell are you standing in this baby food aisle anyway? Oh, right, I forgot. You’re here to look down on me.
So here’s a little tip, my beyotch friend: step off. If there’s one thing I’ve learned since becoming a mom it’s that you do not get to judge your fellow mommies. We are all in this together and we are all dealing with very different and very difficult issues to the best of our ability. So until you have walked in my 4 year old ratty sandals and tried every possible way you can think of to get your kid to ingest any form of protein you can STEP OFF. Make those noises of disgust at yourself for thinking you are better than me for buying a jar a Gerber.
Ah, you’re wondering why I didn’t just tell you to step off right then and there? A valid question. I’ll tell you why - because I’m not going to be rude to someone in front of my son, and at the time I had absolutely nothing positive to say to you. So instead I paused, dumbfounded, wondering how you could possibly be so obnoxious, and then threw a few more jars into my cart because you know, my kid eats a whole lot of these wieners!
Sincerely,
A Fellow Mom just trying to do the best she can
***********And on a much more serious and important note: I hope that everyone donated what they could to the causes featured on Idol Gives Back last night, because the shoes I cannot imagine walking in are those worn by a mother who has to hold her baby and watch him die from a preventable disease because she couldn’t get him the care he needed. If you’ve not already done so you can still go and donate on the American Idol website.
Labels: Mommyhood
Oh gosh- did this really happen to you? I commend you for keeping your cool- seriously! I wrote a post a while back about moms in Target. I am so sorry you had to have that poop on your day. But you are such a ray of sunshine through it all…
Steph
Comment by Adventures In Babywearing — April 26, 2007 @ 2:45 pm
Ahh, yes, the Judgment Experience–a right of passage. Not warranted or wanted or wise, yet it happens at some point to all mommies. BTW, my children STILL eat those Gerber weinies!!
The Idol moment of which you speak made me weep. The entire show was inspiring, moving and convicting.
Comment by Cmommy — April 26, 2007 @ 4:22 pm
I am SO sorry and will echo your “step off!”
Target is the female equivalent of a Civil War battlefield. The cart contents betray which “side” you are on. I’ve had other women blatantly survey my stuff as I unload it onto the conveyor belt. I *try* not to do it in return—but there is something astonishing about a cart filled with about 60 cans of La Victoria refried beans. I couldn’t help myself. I didn’t make farting noises, to my credit.
Beyotch!
I have AI on the DVR—watching it tonight.
Comment by mopsy — April 26, 2007 @ 6:10 pm
i have to admit. i have had that reaction to some things people feed their kids. but i would never, ever show it in front of someone like she did.
and i also recognize that we do what we need to do to feed our kids. cause, it’s freakin’ hard sometimes. all they’ll eat is toast or crackers or bananas.
i’ve made all kinds of concessions to my “food rules” because i can’t force my kid to live by them. so, we do what we have to do. you go, girl.
Comment by kate — April 26, 2007 @ 6:50 pm
Dear Beyotch who dissed my friend,
You suck. You and people like you, with your self righteous attitudes and your ignorance. You are lucky I wasn’t with Beth because I would have told her to carry on down the next isle so Sam wouldn’t have to witness me opening up a can of whoop ass on you. Then perhaps you’d think twice about ever making anyone feel shitty again. Because as we all know, violence solves everything.
Signed,
Mama with a 2nd Degree Black Belt
P.S. Go jump off a bridge
Wow. That feels better. If you ever want me to come beat up anyone for you when your son is not around just say the word. I’ll hop on a plane.
Not that you need anything else to be mad about but this falls along the same lines. Check out my friend’s site http://and-then-there-were-four.blogspot.com/2007/02/menu-plan-monday_12.html
and then what this loser did to her
http://angrymom.blogspot.com/2007/02/against-my-better-judgement-ill-post.html
THAT pissed me off. And I told her so in the comments.
Comment by Mama D — April 26, 2007 @ 10:30 pm
Because I heart you and want you not to feel bad, I will admit my dirty secret.
I buy those chicken sticks. But my daughter won’t eat them. I EAT THEM MYSELF. And when I’m pregnant, I crave them like mad.
Kids used to make fun of me in elementary school because sometimes I would take them for lunch. I’ve eaten them my whole life.
So there, beyotch lady in Target!!
Comment by kelli in the mirror — April 26, 2007 @ 11:18 pm
If I ever find this lady on a day when I am in Target I hope you are there with me, because we can totally take her. Seriously, I’ve been there are this post made me smile.
Comment by Nicole — April 27, 2007 @ 12:50 am
Oh my God, I can’t believe that truly happened to you. Very good that you kept calm at the moment and I hope that venting it here helpt a bit. I would have been so angry as well.
Sometimes you can’t help noticing someone elses cart and thinking ‘yikes, I ‘d never eat that’ or ‘mm looks like they are going for the healthy approach’ . But I said THINKING. You can’t help that a tought like that crosses your mind maybe, but you never visually or loudly express your opinion on what others buy! Because that is not of anyone’s business. That was so rude what he did. Step Off indeed! Regardless whether you are a young mother shopping with her toddler or if you had been a teenager or an old lady or …. He was so bluntly rude.
Enjoy the wieners!
Comment by Goofball — April 27, 2007 @ 3:32 am
Okay. Where have I been? Do people really take the time to see what others are buying? Good grief. I commend you on keeping the peace as my big motor mouth would have opened up and asked the woman if she had a problem ….
Comment by Allie — April 27, 2007 @ 9:48 am
Welcome to the East Coast! I say this only HALF-jokingly (I am in central Jersey). As a Midwesterner often I am floored by the level of rudeness that seems to be acceptable here. . .am trying to just view it as a cultural difference but damn!
Comment by babyDmama — April 27, 2007 @ 9:58 am
I can’t imagine the judgement she’d pass on me - I let my daughter eat chicken nuggets from McD’s and Wendy’s a few times a week, because I know she’ll get her protein that way. What an idiot. And what you buy is none of her business, anyway.
Comment by Christina — April 27, 2007 @ 10:08 am
That is horrible.. i cant stand when people are so cruel.
Comment by liz MonkeyKisses — April 27, 2007 @ 10:08 am
That is insane! I cannot believe someone did that to you! Does she not have anything better to do with her life? That’s the question I guess! So sorry you had to encounter someone like this! I will say - love your blog - LOVE the name too! I will be a consistent reader now!! Check out my blog and site: http://www.pinksandblues.com
- Audrey
Pinks & Blues Girls
http://www.pinksandblues.com
Comment by Audrey McClelland — April 27, 2007 @ 10:56 am
What a crappy thing to do. I am so sorry this happened. I echo what Mama D says to that lady… if you could call her a lady.
I recently found a rice medley that had lentils in it. Lentils offer more protein than some meat products I’ve found, so maybe you could hide that in a caserole or something. Liam won’t touch meet either, unless it’s that nasty canned ravioli and who can call that meat? But alas, I feed it to him because it fills him up… I add some veggies and call myself a good mom…
Comment by Gina — April 27, 2007 @ 3:05 pm
Hip HIp Horray!!!! Before having Eli I would have THOUGHT “Eww” had I seen you put that in your cart (but still common descency would have prevented me from being outwardly rude). But now that I’m a mom I would never think to even let the thought cross my mind. I myself do not/have not fed Eli food from a jar, but that does not mean I cannot recognize that for some moms/kids, it’s what has to happen, even if only from time to time. I KNOW there are a lot of things I’ve done that others wouldnt’ dream of either. You are exactly right - until you’ve walked in the exact shoes of s/he who you are judging, STEP OFF! Good for you for posting this….we ARE all in this together!!!
Comment by Nicole — April 27, 2007 @ 3:33 pm
You know what I always like to think? That someone so evil and narrow-minded towards others is OBVIOUSLY full of anger and spite at their horrible, crappy life that they have no control over and that’s why she has to be a big poop-on-a-stick to you. So she can just suck eggs because you’re nice and she’s an evil hag. (whew!)
As for AI, Eight and I watched it together and he turned to me and said “Mom, can’t we do something too for those kids?” and guess what? We did. I think most of us can spare a little bit, and you’re right - the most horrible thing would be to have your poor child dying in front of you of a completely curable disease because you don’t have what, the $2.00 to pay for the medicine? It’s unbelievable in this day and age.
Feel better my friend, you are a super mom!!
Comment by sari — April 27, 2007 @ 5:27 pm
As a mom who fed her toddlers Vienna sausages (and seriously, yuck!) I’m totally with you. Anything they can pick up and eat themselves that isn’t poison is on the menu.
Comment by Michelle — April 30, 2007 @ 12:18 pm
OMGosh… what a WITCH! Can you say RUDE boys and girls?! And I AGREE she needs to !!STEP OFF!!
We as mommies definitely don’t need anyone to criticize us… we do enough of it to ourselves! God Bless you for being able to keep your mouth in check, I don’t know that I could have!
Comment by Kim ~ OneMommy — May 2, 2007 @ 12:35 pm
Sorry it’s been awhile since I’ve checked in on your blog, but I have to tell you about something that happened to my mom the other day along the same rude lines. Background story: I have 2 twin 8-year old brothers, and my mom had double-knee replacement surgery 2 weeks ago and is not yet able to walk without a walker. Okay, so her little dog dug its way under the backyard fence and ran across a busy road into a neighbor’s yard. My mom got the boys into the car and drove across the street–because she can’t walk–so they could catch the dog. She pulled several feet off the side of the road, put on her flashers, and had the boys get out away from traffic while she remained in the car. They boys caught the dog quickly, but not before someone pulled up next to her and asked, “Are you just the stupidest, laziest, most selfish f@#king bitch in the world?”
Don’t you wish you had snappy comebacks for times like those?
Comment by Sugarmama — May 14, 2007 @ 8:25 pm
Definitely a better spelling than mine. Oh, and btw, your are *so* my kind of girl. Rock on.
Comment by Darcie — June 25, 2008 @ 5:16 pm