((Long)) At least my Mom...

[Aethian]

trained me to pick things up if I drop them in a store. I would get "the look" if things were on the floor and I was the one who let them fall. Their was no walking away from a mess, it was the same for buffets. If I dripped sauce for the salads on the ledge I was always told to get a napkin, no one else should have to clean up for my sloppiness.

But this is a sighting and slightly irking to me. Now in the I wish area I had mentioned that my Mom has my car right now. Because her car is out of commission and at a very trusted repair shop awaiting to see if it can be fixed. So Mom visits once a week so I can get food and dog food and while we were at Wally world it happened.

We managed to be behind this one group of Mom/Grandma and three little ones. I say Mom/Grandma because she could have been Mom, I'm not sure and I know my Mom was often called my Grandma. While they went down the littlest would grab at something and he would be told to put it back. First time he does he knocks several off the shelf and then runs back to the group, I knelt down and put them back on the shelf. Shrugging it off, he was a kid.

Then we got to the paper products and I was feeling a bit awkward because we were still behind this group and almost felt like we were stalking them. The older lady told one of the girls to get some napkins. So this girl goes over and grabs a pack from the bottom of the pile, knocking about four off the shelf. She just skips back and ignores the pile, I make a comment, "I'm glad my Mom taught me to pick things up."

All four look back as I scoop the packages up and put them on the shelf. The older lady gives a sniff and raises her head looking away. All three kids mimic her and I'm starting to stew. Pulling Mom to a different aisles I try to not be behind them anymore. But near the front of the store we come into contact again. This time near the bread.

The tallest girl was getting some bread and handling it kind of roughly. Several loaves were knocked down and one of the ladies in the bakery were starting to come out to pick up and inspect the mess. But I was already there and placing things back on the shelf. Mom is gripping the cart so hard her knuckles are turning white and she looks a bit miffed. I make another comment, "Such little terrors, don't know how to do anything neatly can they? We already know they don't know how to pick up anything they drop." Turning my back to the four I get a little surprised look from the bakery woman who moves back to the counter to watch.

Lady is giving Mom the cat butt face and the girls are trying to mimic it. Little boy is tugging on his caretakers dress, "Are we terrors?" Look on his face as Mom described it was heart breaking but Mom just gave the other lady "The LOOK" and this is a look I cringe to never be under. It is the look she gives before I always knew I was going to get a swat to my rear and sent to bed with no dinner, and it didn't matter if it was 10am either...it was straight to bed to next morning.

The lady's face crumbles rather, gulps and backs down to a small "Sorry, thank you."

We headed to the lanes and started to check out. Somehow, and I think it was the ladies doing, she ends up being in the lane next to us. While we're both unloading one of the girls grabs something from a 'last chance' sale and proceeds to knock other things down. The old lady looks back and the little girl tries to stare at the lady before turning to just wander away. Then we hear it, the lady using the girls FULL name, even a double middle name, to get her butt back there to pick up what she dropped.

I chuckled and nudged Mom to look at the expression on the girls face. It was like her world just got turned upside down. Lady then announced because they couldn't pick up after themselves and were terrors for her they would NOT be going out for ice cream and then called a worker over to ask a favor. A second cart was brought over, the lady apologized to the worker but determined that all the sweets she were going to buy weren't needed anymore.

Mom just had this smug smile on her face all the way out to the car. We stopped for ice cream by the way...tasted wonderful. I swear we need to figure out a way to make my Mom live for a long long time, not that I don't want that right now, so that she can teach more from her generation that they were raised better.

[ArcticChicken]

Does your Mom take apprentices? I need to learn the Look.

[Dark-Star]

Your mother rocks!!!

That is an amazing and encouraging story, thank you loads for sharing. It's not often that a single good example causes such immediate good change in parenting behavior...but when it does it's awesome to watch. I expected Old Lady to go postal over someone else correcting her pwecious baybees. Instead she took the hint, admitted she was wrong to a stranger (!!!), and grew a spine towards the brats. All she needed was a good whack with a clue-by-four.

[Aethian]

As for taking apprentices I don't know...I mentioned it to her when she called about her truck but she just laughed. I think she thinks we're joking.

I've seen Mom take down bad ass punks with that look. Of course there are the few who mean to trip her over by taking her cane and then laughing. Usually the one who takes it looks away from her when he gets the look, looks away quickly. His firneds, if friends are around quickly get the cane back and usually fall over themselves for bothering her.

I swear my Mom is a power unto herself.

[FenigDurak]

I"d like t o learn The Look too, but I'd be too afraid that I'd crumble under it's awesome power and start using it for evil. You know, like talking car salesmen down a few thousand bucks, and getting out of traffic tickets.

[marasbaras]

OK, we demand pictures of the look! If she doesn't take apprentices, we at least need documentation for attempted copying!

[thehippie777]

My mom was all about that stuff, too. If she hasn't taught me correct ways of presenting myself in public, I would want to be adopted by your mom

We get a lot of rude parents with rude hellions in the hotel. Sometimes when I say something to them, it's "your employees are hurassing us." Most of the time the parents aren't even caring that I am diciplining their own children. You can't even fathom how much I pray for someone else to say something. Although, I have had guests try to fist right for the dumbest reasons in the lobby...so I worry. lol

[Becks]

I think I do pretty good with The Look©.

I've made managers back down.

:muttering: teach them to try to make me go to the deli when there's already three more people than slicers and I'm working by myself.

[chainedbarista]

aethenian, i think your mother has a future in teaching 'how to be a parent' workshops.

that was so beyond sweet!

[Binky]

I gotta learn this look. Apparently tho, according to my OH I already have a "look" that I give.

My mum apparently has the same "look" but I don't think it could do what your mums "look" does. But I wouldn't mind giving it a go...hrm...

Take a pic of this "look" I wanna see!

[unclejampuff]

My mommy does The Look. My brother and I are in our twenties and we're still terrified of it.
I don't know how, but I've managed to pick up The Look. My boyfriend laughed his ass off when he saw my mom use it on me. He said it was funny to see me cringe for a change.

[Mamadrae]

Ah the look. I would get it from my grandmother right before the yard stick came out. My stepmother didn't have one, she just used physical and mental beatings and intimidation to the point of me sneaking behind her back for my devilment. With my grandmother you stopped your thoughts before she did something!

Apparently though I inherited my grandmother's look, thank the maker! My husband and his brother were rough housing in my MIL's living room, dangerously close to breakables. I yelled at them to take it outside before they broke something and they started on the "Your not our mom". They stopped in the process and ran to my confusion. Hubby later told me I had this look on my face that warned of impending doom if they didn't behave.