People can get a bad rep. And it's fair to say there are some douche bags out there. One of them happens to be the leader of the free world. When you become a parent your radar for douche bags is on high alert. There's the douche bags that have a problem with breastfeeding in public. The douche bags who come and coo loudly at your baby whilst you are trying to get them to sleep. The douche bags who tut whilst your child is expressing their dislike at something in way that some would call a tantrum. And of course, let's not forget the douche bags who park in the parent and child bays without having the child part of the equation.
I could rant a lot about douche bags, but today I want to shout out to the other type of people you will come into contact with as a parent. The one's who are kind and thoughtful. The one's who can make a tough day better. The one's who will probably never know the positive impact they had on your day. The kindness of strangers can go a long way. We all know these kind people.
The kind people who hold the door open for you when you are struggling with the pushchair.
The kind people who laugh at your baby blowing very loud raspberries in the doctor's surgery waiting room.
The kind people who give you an understanding smile whilst your toddler is having a meltdown on the supermarket floor.
The kind people that let you jump the queue in the public toilets because your kid is desperate for a wee.
The kind people that chase you own the street to hand you the toy that has been discarded from the buggy.
The kind people that deliver your shopping and patiently wait whilst the toddler 'helps' to unload.
The kind people that drive police cars, ambulances and fire engines who wave out of the window to your excited kids.
The kind people that chat to our kids at checkouts and help us alleviate the boredom of queuing.
The kind people working in cafes and restaurants that bring our kids crayons and rush through our food order.
The kind people that hand you wipes when your kid projectiles in the middle of Next the day you don't have your change bag (true story).
The kind people who recognise a mother on the edge and give us the boost we need by telling us "Mum, you've got this."
The kind people who work in doctor's surgeries who hear the worry in our voice and go above and beyond to make an appointment for our child.
The kind people who share their bad days and parenting fails on social media so we know we are not alone in this.
The kind people that work in nurseries and playgroups and understand how precious the cargo we are leaving them with is and do everything to reassure us that it will all be ok.
The kind people who chose to make their living by teaching our children. Those special teachers who teach numbers and letters, and wipe noses and tears, and learn what makes our children tick.
The kind people who tell you how lovely your children are and make you glow with pride.
To all those kind people, Thank-you. Thank-you for making the lives of parents easier. Thank-you for showing us your understanding. Thank-you for teaching us that the world is not all about judgement. Thank-you for demonstrating compassion to our children so that they too will grow up to be the good kind of people. Thank-you for not being a douche bag.
Kindness is a very much underrated quality.
I would personally like to thank the kind lady in the doctor's waiting room when I had a very bored child and a very poorly baby. She read my bored child stories and kept him entertained whilst I paced the floor with an inconsolable baby, whose cries got louder and louder for the thirty minutes we were waiting.
Whilst I worried sick about my baby, and did everything I could to calm him down, I felt the icy stares of everyone else in the waiting room who didn't want to hear his cries. I heard them sighing, slightly louder each time. I felt their judgement as my eldest son crawled under the chairs and talked loudly and complained that he was bored. I fought back the tears as I felt all control of the situation slipping away from me.
She stepped in. Without asking. Without judgement. Just kindness. She helped me.
The kindness of strangers is a beautiful thing.
Share your story of kind people who have helped you, or made your day better in the comments below.
This post was originally published on lifeloveanddirtydishes.com