The next person to glare...

[Nox]

...will lose their entire FACE.

I only just remembered this. It was from mid-way through last year. These weren't all Sucky Customers (although, some were), and they weren't all Sucky Employees (although some were). This was Sucky GENERAL POPULATION.

My friend Red, from my fish&chips post, took our schools' Caring for Children class. One of the assignments was to take care of a robotic baby for three days.They work like this: they cry at random, and you have to put a key in their backs, change their diapers, feed them, then they shut up for a few hours. They look like real babies.

Red, our friend whom we call Dinker and I decided to go into town one of the days she had the baby.

People were unbearably rude.

The waitress at the cafe glared at her. The people on the streets muttered, sneered and glared. Most of the people behind the counters at the store were short with us. It took us until lunch time (the kid kept us up all night, we were running on three hours sleep, so give me a break!) to realize why.

Because my fifteen year old friend had a baby in her arms.

She had a baby, so they decided we were all scum, and as such they could treat us like we had commited a crime. Even thinking about it now makes me mad.

I don't get it. She's (supposedly) a teen mum, so you give us sub-standard service? You are allowed to call her a 'slut' behind her back? What the Hell!?!

Red just laughed about and suggested we sit in the church yard.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I remember seeing those robotic babies being carried around by girls in my high school.

[crazylegs]

People will always look at 'what is different', ask anyone with a facial mark, any kin of visible disability of someone who (in someway) appears not to be the average. If a lot of girls in your area had kids then people would be desesitised and wouldn't look, as is stands I'm thinking teenage pregnancy is reasonably rare there.

[Peppergirl]

I had my first child when I was 18, but I looked alot younger at the time.

I am familiar with these types of glares, believe me. It's horrifying.

[symposes]

What would be worth seeing, is if you went to a resturant. got the glares, said, "Its not a real baby!" and proceeded to show off how its not real. Then 20 minutes later police show up with CPS to take it away from the "unfit" mother!

haha
I would love to see something like that.
Specially if they never figured out it wasnt a real baby.
AHAHAHA

[blas]

Aren't those the babies for the "Baby Think It Over" program at local high schools?

We have a big problem with teen pregnancy where I live, so obviously the local schools really push for that program.

My little brother had the baby for a weekend. He got angry that I wouldn't watch it while he worked. He got mad that he had to take it with him everywhere he went because my parents weren't going to watch it either.

So he decided the pets would babysit. LoL.

Those toys record the amount of time it takes to shush the baby, how often you hit it (if you do) and all that good stuff.

It's a good idea in theory, but I don't think putting the key in its back really teaches kids how to calm a baby.

[Misanthropical]

I was 22 years old when I was pregnant with my oldest, but I looked a lot younger, so I got glared at, heard whispers of how shameful it was that teenagers were going around getting knocked up and how I must be a slut.

I would whip around point to my wedding ring, telling the person how old I was and how I was married to my baby's father. Do you think a single one of those god awful people apologized? Hell no! I was just wearing a fake ring and covering for the fact that I was indeed a teenage slut.

Heck, even now when people find out I have a 15 year old son assume I was 15 or 16 years old when I had him. Those people do apologize when I tell them how old I was when I had him, though.

[hawkchick11]

I was 23 when I had my son. I'm 25 now, and I look pretty young. I hate taking my son to the mall because of the glares I get. And if we meet up with my older sister (who is 27 and looks younger than me) and my niece, we both get really interesting looks. People like to say stuff too.

[Peppergirl]

We get some crazy looks nowadays because even though my son is 20, he looks about 5 to 7 years older due to his beard and overall stature and demeanor. I'm 38 and am told I look younger. I don't think I do, but I'm told that.

Anyway, some of the looks when we go out are interesting. The theory is that people think we're one of those older-woman, younger-man couples.

The weird part is, my son looks EXACTLY like me - which makes me wonder just what in the hell people are staring so intently at.

[blas]

I've honestly felt very sorry for my friends because of the looks they've gotten. Especially Kelly. She is the same age as me, and we both can't pass for any older than 16 on a good day. She was 16 when she had Lisa. People, especially elderly people, have given us dirty looks. I want to take their canes and smack that judgemental stick right back in their direction. My grandpa's first wife and he got married when she was 16 and they had my eldest uncle that next year.

Of course, that was fine and normal back then, right? *facepalm*.

Edit to add: Just another reason people need to rethink their judgement...things weren't always perfect back THEN, either. My mother's parents had her and then divorced right away, and my grandpa has 2 sons with another woman, and my grandma has 2 other sons with 2 other men.

[MadMike]

Even if it was a real baby, it didn't necessarily mean your friend gave birth to it. She could have simply been the babysitter, older sister, cousin, etc.

People are too quick to assume sometimes.

[Rapscallion]

Of course, that was fine and normal back then, right? *facepalm*.

Well, there are a few factors at play here. People tend to remember their youths as a golden age. There was a famous quote about how the youth of today is taking society to the wall with their rambunctious behaviour - the sort of thing you'd hear on a right-wing politician's lips when they're campaigning for office.

"I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words... When I was young, we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise [disrespectful] and impatient of restraint"

Hesiod - 8th Century BC or so. (Can I Help You A$$ used it on this forum before me)

Give it a few years, Blas - you'll sound just like me!

The other factor is that - as you said - your grandpa and his first wife married at 16 (legal over here in the UK, actually, with parental permission), but they did get married. Society has changed (not declined or improved, note - I'll save that for Fratching) in that the rate of marriage is down, the rate of divorce is up, and the common perception is of young, single mothers. There are too many cases of young mothers with no legal ties to the fathers being left to fend for themselves when the once-loving chap in question realises that a furtive fumble in the dark back then now means fumbling for a fresh nappy at three in the morning and he can make himself scarce instead.

It's not as if the world has changed completely, but what they think they see is a symptom of reckless youth who don't understand the results of their actions.

I'd also like to repeat something I once told someone who thought I was wise. "I'm not - I'm just old enough to be able to recognise mistakes I once made."

Rapscallion

[blas]

Very true Raps. I will openly admit that I used to stare and scoff at women who appeared to be young single mums. Until I met Kelly. Kelly changed my views and set me straight. I have never been so proud of someone or seen such a strong woman in my life. And that little girl of hers has me wrapped right around her little finger.

She's having another baby, I'm very excited.

I guess it just bothers me how sometimes people can be so judgemental, when things weren't always honky dorey in the old days. There have been affairs and illegitimate love children for eons.

[Victoria J]

Even if it was a real baby, it didn't necessarily mean your friend gave birth to it. She could have simply been the babysitter, older sister, cousin, etc.

Absolutely.

I have the opposite "problem" - I'm 30 and have a (half) sister who is 7, and everyone always assumes I'm her mother. (I stopped minding when I discovered they also assumed that our father was her grandfather). People get a bit embarrassed sometimes when she puts them right.

All kinds of people can spend time looking after children - and as long as they are taking good care of the child there's no need to stare.

I've also met some young mothers who have been very inspiring. Being a very young mother isn't ideal - but that doesn't mean no good can come of it either.

Though I do wonder if the people in the OP were self-conscious about the fake baby, and that made people notice them more than they otherwise would.

Victoria J

[donruss]

I absolutely HATE people like this. Screw these self-righteous, I'm better than you, ignorant, assclowns! Its none of their damn business and no one has to explain a damn thing to them. My Mom got those looks all the time because she had me right after she turned 20.

People really need to learn to mind their own Goddamn business unless abuse is suspected. Of course, then no one WANTS to get involved!