PS, I have just seen the rest of your post - thank you and that sounds lovely - I will see if we can get there.
PPS, sorry Odile, I would have loved to, but I had not realised how far away Morges is from Zurich - what a shame! Have fun!
he he - a bit OT, but I fear that you will be disappointed should you ever return to Malta. All those gorgeous, incredibly dodgy, yellow buses have been replaced by non-descript Arriva ones.
Meant to add this last week, but you never noticed that people in this country like to 'correct' other peoples children (not referring to every swiss person).
Don't know how many times I've had to butt in mid sentence, remind them that the father is present and standing right here.
Keep your eye/ear open for that one, the first few times will catch you as some folk like preaching down to kids for no apparent reason and will catch you off guard.
Ha ha. Sometimes I actually wish someone would turn round to my son in a restaurant or on a tram and tell him firmly to "pipe down" or tell him to stop running around. He doesn't listen to me sometimes despite my best efforts!
Likewise I have no qualms about telling other peoples kids to behave if they are being naughty in my vicinity and their own parents are doing bugger-all to keep them in check. I wouldn't interfere, though, if the parents seem to be taking charge (successfully or unsuccessfully).
Had to get all "Nanny McPhee" with some little sods who were terrorising smaller kids in a playground a couple of weeks ago while their two mums were yacking away ignoring their little darlings' reign of terror.
I certainly don't shout at other people's children if I am near enough for them to hear me without me raising my voice, but I do tell the children that the flower beds are not really a short cut on their way to school, that my washing is not put them for them to hide behind and and run through when playing tag and that if they really need to keep slamming the metal locker doors at the swimming pool, I'd prefer that they slammed the ones behind their mother instead of the one behind me. Also, if they keep trying to attract their mother's attention without success (she's chatting to another Mum, both of them ignoring their offspring) I have, on occasion, said rather loudly, 'I don't think Mummy is listening' which sometimes has the required effect. And when a youngster (old enough to know better) said 'Achtung' to me, when she wanted to get past me (there wasn't a lot of room between the rows of seating) I asked her if that what what she usually said when she meant 'excuse me, may I come past please'. She said 'yes', so I replied that unfortunately it doesn't function that way with me.
On the whole, I don't think it is bad thing when outsiders correct children in a polite manner. But shouting at the children doesn't really achieve anything except encourage the children (and their mothers) to shout back.
I'll just carry on being a grumpy old woman on here.
Really lovely poem right from the heart.
My little boy has Aspergers syndrome but thanks to a wonderful school here and lots of advice how to deal with the difficult times we cope pretty well.
He used to get times when he was really out of his comfort zone and we would get the out bursts of swearing which was so embarrassing,especially on a bus full of old ladies who could not beleive such an angelic child could know such words and use them with spectacular devastation lol.
Due to the experiences with my son I do not judge parents on how the kids behave while they are out. No one knows their personal circumstances on why they behave how they do, no one should judge either. I so feel for ecb and her little son, the driver behaved appallingly and I would put a full complaint in to the company, as someone else said it is so important at these times that even if you are totally cut up with embarrassement,your child should know 100% that you are completely on their side. I cannot think of anything worse than leaving a child doubting this.
Hope you do not experience this again but I think the fact you stayed calm and did not retaliate spoke volumns to your child. Hope things improve for you.
Darcy