sure start women so rude

[Happypenguin2014]

Poped into the local sure start centre today with an old school friend, who we've recently been back in touch. She has a gorgeous 8 month old daughter who's teething.

Df had to fill in a form so I held baby. She started crying, not major but a grumpy cry.

The women from sure start said " aww poor girl, she needs socialising "

ERM no. Baby was teething and wanted her mummy.

Aibu to think she's a muppwt.?

[KingJoffreysBloodshotEye]

Sounds like the Sure Start lady needs socialising.

Hope you told her that.

[ShatnersBassoon]

The Sure Start

[Kantha]

I've done some voluntary work with them. Fundamentally well meaning people, but they drove me nuts with their form filling and 'do-good' intentions.

[ShatnersBassoon]

The Sure Start volunteers I've met all seem to overestimate how knowledgeable they are about child development.

[icanmakeyouicecream]

I find they are mostly full of shit.

[SaucyJack]

This is precisely why I won't go within 30 foot of a Shart centre.

You think you're going for a nice afternoon out with your baby, but what you really get is a load of judgey women looking for any reason possible to criticise your parenting so they can report you to SS

[soapboxqueen]

My sure start was lovely but can't comment on others. I suspect the woman was assuming that the baby didn't like to be away from its mum and was too clingy. Though why she felt the need to comment on it is beyond me.

I think she was just rude busy body

[Happypenguin2014]

Sadly its put my friend right off. Only toke her there so we could groups that they could do.

I had major issues with shart haha when my D's was younger,always judging my parenting!

[UriGeller]

God I hate the words "socialising" and "socialisation".

It means absolutely nothing but has become another way to make parents feel like they aren't doing it right.

[TremoloGreen]

Socialising is what you do to dogs!

[Thebodyloveschocolateandwine]

She sounds unhinged.

Run for the hills.

[LapsedTwentysomething]

I did go to some sure start stuff but much of the content was deeply patronising.

[MintyCatLeaf]

She sounds bizarre.

[Tikimon]

Babies get exactly zero from being together, they just stare and do their own thing. It's the mother's that benefit.

I think from 2 years old and on though it can be beneficial.

The worst that will happen if your child isn't around other children is that they'll be mature for their age when they start school because they've been hanging around adults. Nothing wrong with that. :)

[Bue]

I worked with community midwives based in a Sure Start centre for one of my degree placements. So much of what I saw made me go The information given in the baby/breastfeeding group was utterly patronising, but worse was the fact that you were not allowed to take a hot drink within about half a mile of a child. We had to pass through the enormous playroom to get from the office to the clinic room (there was never a child within arm's reach) and the midwives were forced to sneak their cups of tea through when the receptionists weren't looking.

[KnittedJimmyChoos]

Oh no this is why I steer clear of them, I am sure they do good though but its sounds its gone mad.

Really Bue any other stuff you can share with us? I always feel totally watched and judged when had to pop in.

[greeneggsandjam]

Weird. Who says things like that??

[WhatsMyAgeAgain]

Mine gave me lots of shit advice about dropping bottles (ebf) to get little one to sleep through. Told me I shouldn't let baby demand when he wants milk (ebf on demand). Explained he won't be able to demand anything when I'm back at work full time so I'm not going to refuse him milk now. They changed their tune and said that I must make the most of my time with him.

Morons. I enjoy chatting with the other mums so put up with their crap advice.

[ebwy]

Mine told me that my eldest would be maladjusted if we didn't take him to their groups. his school nursery staff laughed and said he's perfectly normal when I told them (3 years later, having never used their groups)

[Happypenguin2014]

I used to go a few times a month, when I decided I didn't like it anymore, they phoned social services because they hadn't heard from me lol

[beccajoh]

My local one is great. Really can't fault them. The staff is lovely, as are many of the people I've met there.

[LittleMisslikestobebythesea]

I went to my local one once, the staff were so patronizing, we didn't go back! The woman got stroppy when toddlers wouldn't sit for a long time for her story, even the adults were getting restless!

I didn't like the way they talked to us like we were children either!

I know some people will benefit from it, just not for us!

[BlinkAndMiss]

Mine was great, the staff were really lovely and helped me loads.

I think it was a misguided way of trying to get your friend to attend groups there, I don't think it sounds like a criticism. They heavily rely on numbers so they are desperate for people to attend, she was probably just making conversation and saying that the baby would enjoy it and not cry.

I think the pp calling her 'unhinged' is a bit far. And why on earth they would call ss because you didn't attend is beyond me, OP were you supposed to be attending or was it your own choice to attend?

[Wrcgirl]

Oh my, our sure start centre is lovely, none of the negatives above

[tortoisesarefab]

At my local sure start, a new mum was registering her baby when a staff member offered to hold the baby for her. The baby started crying and the staff member said 'oh come on, you can't know who your mother is yet!' Implying that the baby couldn't be crying because she had been removed from her mum. I remember thinking, what an awful thing to say to a new mum