My pram…the invisibility cloak

Kate Garnish - 26 Nov 15

I don’t know what it is about my pram that turns me into an invisible woman. I may as well have a sign around my head saying ‘ignore me’. Before I had my daughter I would happily move out of the way or let a mother and pram go first and most importantly hold a door open for a pram. And now I have a child and a pram I find it turns you invisible. I must stress it isn’t everyone who seems to have a blind spot when it comes to prams, just a select few, and this select few are frankly rude to put it mildly.

Prams are funny things, and as much as i love our Bugaboo Bee, one of the more petite prams on the market it can sometimes feel like your pushing your little darling around in a tank. Especially when its loaded to the hilt with nappies, groceries and the nappy bag balancing on the handle bars. And as most doors in shops seem to weigh a ton these days you pray that some kind soul will oblige and hold the door open for you, and in most cases they do. But then there are those annoying select few who don’t see you or your baby tank. On a few occasions now I have struggled to open a door while trying to hold it open with my foot while i push my pram through it while certain bystanders do nothing to help. If I’m feeling brave I will say ‘thank you for helping’ in a raised voice and then run off hoping I’ve made them feel bad for their inaction.

Now, its usually men that ignore the fact you need help with a door, men of a certain age (40+ to be more precise), but men are men and i can almost forgive this fact. But what is worse, is when its a woman who ignores you or tuts because you’re taking too long in front of them. What happened to sisterhood or sticking together as women. Once a woman tutted at me because i was struggling to manoeuvre the pram and i (god forbid) took an extra couple of seconds off of her day. Well sorry lady, you could have helped by holding the door and I could have exited the shop faster saving you your three extra precious seconds.

What a lot of people fail to realise is that that outing to the shop or coffee shop maybe the only time we get out of the house on that day and you may be the only human contact we make all day. So next time you see a woman with a pram struggling – just do the right thing, be polite, patient and hold the bloody door open!

Rant over.

Kate Garnish

Kate G, 34, Wife to Benn and mum to 5 year old Evie

View profile for posts, events and more info