By Ambrosia Brody of Random Aspects of (My) Life
A shopper at the Grandiose Shopping Center is still reeling from an unfortunate encounter with a local mom this afternoon after her kind gesture was rebuffed by the mom of three.
“She, in so many words, told me to mind my own business,” said Ms. Marta Meddle-Some. “I never knew someone could be so rude.” Ms. Meddle-Some added, “I thought that’s what those women wanted. People to help when needed.”
The incident happened at approximately 3 p.m. on Feb. 10 at the Target (pronounced Tar-Jay) in the Grandiose Shopping Center, a mall known for its upscale boutiques and a few modest storefronts such as Pottery Barn and Pier 1 Imports.
According to Ms. Meddle-Some, she dropped into Target for a carton of Almond Milk and a box of Magnum Double Chocolate bars when she noticed a woman with her three children in the frozen food aisle.
“The boy kept asking the mom for an ice cream, and that got the little girl going, so it was just a mess,” explained Mr. Gary Gawker, who witnessed the incident. “She couldn’t control them. It was quite embarrassing.”
“My kids would never act like that,” remarked Mr. Gawker’s wife, Nōzē Pärker, who added her college-aged daughter is this close to finding the cure for cancer.
Her elementary-aged child has yet to have a meltdown and never spills her freshly squeezed orange juice on the carpet, Nōzē Pärker added.
The mom appeared to be “frazzled” as she whispered to both kids to settle down and “threatened” them, a shopper said.
“She said, ‘You better behave or you’re not getting any dessert for a week,’ which is ridiculous,” said the shopper who refused to provide her name in fear of retaliation from moms everywhere. “Why didn’t she just give them what they wanted? They’re kids for Christ’s sake.”
By this time Ms. Meddle-Some became aware that other shoppers were beginning to stare at the mom who was digging through the freezer for peas as the toddler whined in the shopping cart, the little boy pulled on her leg, and the infant in the baby wrap was starting to fuss. She knew she had to diffuse the situation.
What she did next was heartbreakingly noble.
“I opened my box of Magnum ice cream, pulled the wrappers off of two bars, and handed them to the kids,” Ms. Meddle-Some said.
According to spectators, Ms. Meddle-Some was then confronted by the mom who “forcefully” threw the frozen peas in the cart, startling Ms. Meddle-Some.
The mom snarled, “Excuse me, but what do you think you’re doing? You’ve just completely reinforced their bad behavior. If you had asked me first, I would have told you thanks, but no way.”
Ms. Meddle-Some explained that she told the woman she was simply helping her out since her family was causing quite the spectacle. “I didn’t insult her parenting style or question what she was doing. I was just helping her rein in her kids,” Ms. Meddle-Some said. “What’s the harm in being nice?”
The mom sarcastically thanked Ms. Meddle-Some for her help and quickly walked away, stopping at a trash can where she forced the kids to throw away the ice cream.
Ms. Meddle-Some was left alone in the aisle, speechless.
“She didn’t even offer to pay me back for the ice cream bars; they are not cheap,” she said.
When asked if she will ever stick her nose in someone else’s business again, Ms. Meddle-Some said, “Yes, without a doubt. I’m here to help.”
The mom, however, told this reporter she did not have any interest in rewarding Ms. Meddle-Some’s bad behavior. She had better things to do, she said, like focus on not raising brats.
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About the Author
Ambrosia Brody is a full-time editor, journalist and mother to two spirited daughters. She lives in Southern California in a beach city but hates the sand; enjoys people watching but hates small talk. She started to blog at Random Aspects of (My) Life when she realized everything she knew about parenting was wrong. Connect with her on her blog, Facebook or on Twitter.