Thursday is market day in our house. The kids love it, Little Bro sits in his pram, happy as long as those tasty morsels of fruit and meat are passed his way. Big Sis loves to help choose all the fruit and veggies, plus if she’s good she gets a chocolate frog when we sit down for a coffee at the end! Add to this the pet shop we visit and the chance for Big Sis to have a dance to the buskers (Little Bro rocks out in his pram but, as we keep telling him, can’t really cut loose until he learns to walk) and it’s a great morning out!
And it’s not just the kids who love it, I love it too! It’s my idea of heaven - the mountains of fresh produce, amazing delis with more cheeses than you could imagine, incredible seafood piled high and that life affirming buzz that a good food markets exude! Think of it as the antidote to a supermarket shopping experience!
Anyway, after a blissful morning we headed back to the car-park to load up. The space next to us was empty and I was leaning into the back seat strapping Little Bro in when I was beeped by a car who was planning to take the spot next to mine. Now, Little Bro needs to be strapped in properly, he doesn’t like it so he struggles, which means I can’t leave him sitting in his seat until he’s strapped, otherwise he ends up on his head on the floor. So I gave the car an intentionally neutral look through the back window and continued to strap Little Bro in. The car decided it couldn’t wait the 10 seconds required and screeched off, not before giving us the bird!
Now, I don’t want to be one of those people who believes that the whole world should stop and accommodate my every quirk because I’ve got kids, but really - is some simple courtesy and consideration too much to ask for?
It reminded me of a plane trip I once took where there were no seat allocations but people with kids and those otherwise enfeebled (and man there were a lot of us!) got to board first. I was traveling alone with a baby in my arms and a toddler wobbling along next to me, I didn’t expect any particular assistance from the airline, as I knew in advance they go out of their way to be as inconvenient as the public will tolerate (it’s a product differentiation thing). I was, however, taken aback by the unhelpfulness of the general public! Obviously seeing my then 2 year old as a weak-link hordes of old people literally ran her down as we boarded the plane. She was lost in a sea of legs, I had to stand still and block the aisle, refusing to move until she was reunited with me!
Anyway, the car-park incident turned out to be a blessing in disguise as Big Sis was fascinated by the whole thing and we had a really good discussion all the way home about being patient and thinking about other people. I guess my ultimate satisfaction will come from doing my best to raise kids that get enough joy out of everyday that they can afford to give out a bit of care and compassion - and who take the time to do the right thing.
Food, shopping, Stranger
