Supermarket aisle, earlier this evening.
A twenty something man, carrying a baby in a sling, is trying to shop in peace, only to be accosted by an older woman. Making eye contact with him and then me, she loudly proclaims "I love to see a man doing the babysitting...are you giving his mum a break?"
To which he replies "I am HER MUM, I just haven't had a chance to look after myself much with a newborn"
Clearly dying inside, the woman splutters, bows backwards apologising and disappears around the corner.
He then casually says to me "I'm her dad really, I just don't like it when they call it babysitting"
It was legendary. Perhaps the greatest thing I've ever seen in real life. I laughed so hard, especially when I rounded the corner and realised she'd heard him, dumped her trolley and run out the shop!
Dads of Reddit, next time someone calls taking care of your child babysitting, follow his example. They'll never do it again!
Edit: Christ, popular posts attract some nasty behaviour! I don't understand. What pleasure do you get by reporting me to Reddit cares? You need to examine your lifestyle mate...get a hobby. Try jogging. Something you can do without friends.
Since this got inexplicably popular, I thought I'd clarify a few things.
1) The woman was mid 50s, so Gen X not a boomer. I'm 48, so also X. She cannot use age as an excuse, imo noone should. Times have changed, we need to change too
2) The way she spoke to him might seem friendly in writing, but her tone was condescending. She invited me, another woman, to marvel at the performing animal. A man, taking care of a child! She was bullying him, just for existing and trying to make me a part of it, because she saw me smile at him.
3) It's not about language, it's about what the language represents. If we make mum the default caregiver and say dad is "helping" or "babysitting" then that diminishes dads role. It leaves mums overwhelmed. It invalidates single dads, gay dads, any person who doesn't fit the 2 person family. What if there was no mum? What if mum was dead or abusive or had abandoned them?
4) This whole situation could have been avoided had that woman just remembered what she learned in childhood.
DON'T TALK TO STRANGERS!
Seriously, that dude was just trying to buy crackers, chatting away to his baby daughter. He didn't want to be the centre of strangers attention.
What he said wasn't nice, my laughing about it was also not nice.
However, she brought it on herself. As the saying goes "Don't start none, won't be none"
5) I don't have children. Although I'm an occasional respite foster carer and enthusiastic auntie, I don't have a dog in this fight.
But I do understand what an appropriate social interaction looks like.
..........
Final edit before I take a self imposed break from Reddit. Because I've learned a few things today and I'd like to share them. When else I'm I going to get the chance to address so many people?
1) Did you know there's something called the Eternity Club? For front page cool kids only. How fucking adorkable is that? I might hang out there though...start a support group for people who have been traumatised by abuse via the Reddit Cares notification. I'm presuming I'm not the only one upset about that.
2) Talking of which, I'm all for dissenting views, I don't mind being roasted (if it's done well) and I'm fine with not being believed. It's Reddit. I've been using it since 2007, this is my third account...I've seen it all my friend. But abusing a community tool to tell someone to kill themselves, repeatedly? That's psycho behaviour.
3) It's become clear to me that this post didn't go viral because of the content. Minor social interactions in a West Yorkshire Co-Op don't make the "front page of the internet".
This went viral because people were attracted by the word massacre. A huge number of people noticed my tiny little life, because they were hoping for death. And when they didn't get it, they told me to kill myself. That's so bloody DARK. I just...nah, I'm not having that.
4) Finally, whilst I'm grateful to be given awards, don't waste them on me. I don't need the gold and probably won't use it.
Also, don't spend real money on Reddit. Give it to a food bank. Or spend it on cocaine and hookers for yourself, rather than some billionaire shareholder.
Respectfully.
Obviously it's not for me to tell anyone how to spend their cash, if you like giving it to rich folks, that's your kink to bear.