How embarrassing...

[Moosenogger]

While working in an airport retail store, I saw a huge amount of people in a day. This particular store received a lot of younger clientele, since we mostly sold toys, videos, games, etc. Now, I pride myself on my ability to talk to and interact with even the shyest kids, and I have very rarely had a bad encounter with them. This one incident left me horribly embarrassed, though...

I had a mother and her child (who looked to be about 8 or 9) come to my register. I greeted them, and began some small talk while I rang up their items. At one point in the conversation, I noticed that the little girl wasn't talking, so I figured she might just be shy. Normally, you can guide kids into a conversation by complimenting something they own or are wearing, since kids are more likely to talk about something important to them.

So I turn to the girl and say, "I love your outfit. You look very pretty!"

The "girl" then looks straight at me and says, "I'm NOT a girl!"

OH SHI-!

Before I can stumble out an apology, the kid looks at his mom and says (in a VERY agitated voice), "I TOLD you this haircut made me look like a girl!"

And indeed it did. Even though he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, he could have easily passed for a tomboy. Considering how fast he came up with that haircut comment, I'm guessing I wasn't the first person to address him as a girl.

Whoops.

[teh_blumchenkinder]

oops. At least it was mom's fault. thank you for proving the kid's point!

[bainsidhe]

I've made the same mistake, but the other way around. Had a very tom-boyish girl with her hair pulled back and I innocently made some comment about how "he" must enjoy whatever doohickey they were buying. The father looked very indignant as he declared his child was a she. I apologized profusely and was horribly embarrassed.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

That kids has a way to go to catch up with me.

BTW, you have my permission to call me a girl if you want. everybody else does.

[Dips]

My niece is mistaken for a boy often. However, she WANTS it that way. She's a tomboy and hates anything "girly."

[emax4]

That is an embarrassing thing to happen, but if you look at it from another viewpoint, you may have made the kid's day and unintentionally siding with him. He got mad that the haircut his mom had chosen for him made him look like a girl. He, not wanting it, then proved his point by you mistaking him for a girl. Hopefully the kid's mom took him back to get the hair styled differently.

[Squeaksmyalias]

BTW, you have my permission to call me a girl if you want. everybody else does.

Pictures? What? I'm curious.

[dalesys]

Pictures? What? I'm curious.

Irv, not the moon shot this time, please.

[EricKei]

I was mistaken for a girl by a CSR (who really couldn't see much more than my head over her counter) once, when I was about eight, with nearly shoulder-length bright blonde hair --- it was an understandable mistake and I just let it slide

[Bloodsoul]

Having a very "girlish" haircut is the very reason Moe Howard of "The Three Stooges" looked the way he did as an adult.

I was once mistaken for a girl as an adult due to a ponytail and being crouched down, facing away from the customer at that time. Quite the shock when I stood up straight.

[KellyHabersham]

Reminds me a little of a kid whose family used to be regular visitors to the library - the siblings were obviously girls, but we (the library staff) were never sure what gender "It" was......let's just say he/she was kind of androgynous-looking, and that did NOT change over the years. (this family came into the library on and off for a period of time)

[Cai1987]

Reminds me a little of a kid whose family used to be regular visitors to the library - the siblings were obviously girls, but we (the library staff) were never sure what gender "It" was......let's just say he/she was kind of androgynous-looking, and that did NOT change over the years. (this family came into the library on and off for a period of time)

Not to take this into Fratching territory, but did you seriously just refer to a child as an "it"?

[KellyHabersham]

Not to take this into Fratching territory, but did you seriously just refer to a child as an "it"?

My bad......that was NOT meant as a derogatory term for a child....at the time I'd made that post, I was having trouble figuring out how to describe them.

[Moosenogger]

Not to take this into Fratching territory, but did you seriously just refer to a child as an "it"?

Heh, I was just reminded of a conversation from one of my speech classes. Even though saying "it" is a perfectly acceptable way to describe something (person, place, thing, etc) people don't like to do so when referring to people. (Which is why people will call a baby a boy or a girl, even if they're not sure.)

Assigning a gender to a child was what got me into an embarrassing situation in the first place. D: Sometimes you just can't win.

[Peppergirl]

Not to take this into Fratching territory, but did you seriously just refer to a child as an "it"?

Ah, but you just did. If you're offended by a post, that's what the report button is for.

My bad......that was NOT meant as a derogatory term for a child....at the time I'd made that post, I was having trouble figuring out how to describe them.

You don't need to apologize or explain yourself.


Seriously people. This is why we ask that you NOT reply within the threads.

It's not that hard.