Cry baby

Louise McCourt - 27 Sep 16

Newsflash. You may need to sit down for this. Ok, here it is. Kids cry. It might not be quite the scoop you were expecting, but apparently it’s news to some people.

Picture the scene. I was in Homebase recently doing some riveting shopping. By the time I got to the checkout, little man (he’s nearly two) had started to cry. The woman at the till leaned right over to look into the buggy. ‘What’s wrong, why is he crying?’ she asked. I should have simply said that children just cry sometimes. End of. Instead, I sighed and said, ‘He’s tired, I woke him up from his morning nap’. ‘Poor baby’ she said. Poor mummy more like. Waking the beast is one of my least favourite things. ‘And now it’s nearly lunchtime so he’s probably hungry too.’ I continued. ‘Bad mummy,’ she said. Super! Without another word (I think I’d said enough), I finished paying and left.

A few weeks later we were out and about when I paused in a shop to look at some scarves. Mid browse little one started to wail. A woman walking past stopped. ‘Why is he crying?’ she asked. I took this conversation on again, this time trying a bit of humour (I don’t know why, but when I get flustered this seems to be my ‘MO’). ‘He doesn’t enjoy shopping like his mummy!’ Her expression suggested I should ‘put the scarf down’.

Of course she didn’t know our last stop had been a toy store where he had spent ages playing and running around. This latest outburst was merely the result of being put back in the buggy, especially as the food that regularly materialises from my bag had just run out. And to top it all, he wasn’t impressed that I had just prised a scarf out of his hands before it got covered in Pom-Bear grease. I could have told her any of this, but instead I decided to turn back to the rack and she scuttled off.

Now I’m no mind reader, but I think I’ve got this one. It’s safe to say that with my little one it’s likely to be down to the following..

1. He’s been woken up (child number two means we can rarely go by his timetable).
2. The snack train has left the station (there is only so much I can fit in my bag, or want to feed him in between meals).
3. It’s nearly lunch/dinner time.
4. He is simply fed up of being in the car, then out, then in, and the same with the buggy. When I try a trip without him in the buggy he wants to be held, which doesn’t last long as he is so heavy, or he wants to push the buggy, and by that I mean smash it into things, and people. (If I try to sneak in a steer, the crying starts again).

So there you have it!

And I think you’ll agree that there is no real reason that merits this discussion between strangers.

However there is good news. We were coming back through Gatwick recently after a tedious day of travelling. We had been queueing at Passport Control for about ten minutes and little man was having a complete melt down (from tiredness I would deduce!). Everyone was staring at us, and all I could do was look around helplessly. Finally a member of staff appeared and said ‘Come with me’. At last. We left our audience and headed towards the front of the line. On our way, I walked past a guy who reached out and touched my arm. ‘We’ve all been there.’ he said. I couldn’t help it, I welled up.

Now if I see a parent in a similar situation, hear that familiar cry, I’ll offer a small sympathetic smile. I hope they see the message in it – I understand!

Louise McCourt

Mummy of two and freelance writer. My words have made people laugh, cry and be inspired - it doesn't get much better than that.

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