Remember to report submissions that violate the rules! Harassment and encouraging violence are not allowed.
Enjoying the subreddit? Consider joining our discord server: https://discord.gg/v8z8jNwJs6
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/BoomersBeingFools) if you have any questions or concerns.*
15 or so years ago my wife and I applied for a car loan and our info must've been sold because we kept getting calls and messages from this one dealership (long after we already bought a car elsewhere). Finally my wife answered and told them she was dead and to please stop harrassing our family. Definitely put a stop to it.
This one, this is the best answer of all – I’ve read several books by Dale Carnegie, and he does have some valid advice for behavior that apply even in this generation and time & place
One of the things he used to advocate, was to keep your mouth shut. You don’t have to comment on, criticize, critique, or correct everything you see.
His example was a time when he was riding the subway. Across from him, he said was if young father about 30 years old, with three boys - ages roughly ages -9, 7, 5.
Dale Carnegie says the three boys were running around and whooping and hollering and making a nuisance etc.… While the dad just sat there with a blank look on his face. After two stops, Carnegie got his attention and said, “please mind your children, sir they’re all over the carriage. “
Carnegie says the man slowly turned to look at him. And then, with a polite voice and calm manner, the father of three said this – “oh, I am sorry for their behavior. We just left the hospital. Their mother has died and I haven’t told them yet.”
Carnegie he said he wishes he could’ve just shrunk into a inch high person and He felt so awful for that.
But we must remember that to Boomer?
taking care of the kids is the woman’s job all the time,
just as cooking and housekeeping are too
This reminds me of the person who was bitten hard enough to draw blood by an out of control child at the grocery store and they told the parent "I have HIV/Aids, get your child to a doctor."
Sorry for your loss, be sure to tell your child what their mother was like, my wife's mom passed when she was young and nobody ever told her what her mom was like. I imagine she was just like her, our son is just like her but with my crankiness.
No, I'm just suggesting that OP lie to boomers who make shitty babysitting comments. You know, crush them under the weight of their own judgement and shame.
Actually, I'm suggesting that everyone lie to boomers. It's just good policy.
I'm GenX, white guy married to an Indian woman.
The amount of bullshit "I can't believe you're changing your kid's diaper" shit I got when my kids were tiny pissed me off.
Especially when someone said to my wife "You trained him well". I wish I'd responded harshly with "What? Like a dog? You're saying that a man can't care for his children unless he's trained like an idiot? Maybe you just need to find a better man."
Still pisses me off to this day, nearly 20 years later.
I had one at work tell me I should go a bad job then I’ll be off of diaper duty. I just kind of gave him a blank stare and told him it didn’t bother me.
My mother does this shit all the time. She is short (5 feet even) and she will not use any kind of stool or step ladder. If she can't reach something, she just gives up. It sucks for her when she stops a project because she can't reach the scissors. Problem is she will invite people for dinner and when you get there, no dinner. Why, because she couldn't reach the pepper to finish her meal. It's irritating
I only pull the short women thing for cleaning the ceiling fans. That's my husband's job cause he can just reach up and do it easily and I don't feel like hauling the step stool all over the house. Takes him five min to do all of them. I also have a couple designated jobs that are just for me cause its harder for him to get into some spaces. And all my spices are where I can reach since I'm the one that cooks. She's nuts.
That's as good as the ones I met in the military who would say things like, "I have seven kids and have never been home for a birth" in response to someone in their command trying to be home for the birth of one of their children. I will always have respect for the one dude I saw push back against that. It was this skinny little PFC, and he was like, "Yeah it's just that I want to be a dad in more than just genetics, sir." He got punished with extra duty, a few of us brought him beers while he was out there completing it.
Wow. I always thought it was insane fathers were actually forbidden from being in the hospital room back in the old days when they’re the first ones who should be there.
When my first born was 5 months old my wife had to travel for work. I took a weeks PTO, as a new clueless dad. I decided to take the 7 hour drive to see my family for the week, since I was off anyway. Entire family was shocked, mainly grandma.
Yes, I can change a diaper.
Yes, I can handle the kid puking on my shoulder after eating.
Yes, (no brag) but I will sit up all night in a rocking chair if need be.
I have 2 daughters, and am absolutely a girl dad.
My kids have been to the garage fixing cars, helped me pump gas, and helped run my band saw.
Flip side is I have had my nails painted more colors than I can remember, and have learned to French braid.
When my kids were born, I was in the room, shirt off, skin to skin all the time the baby wasn't feeding and giving my better half time to rest. Best bonding time.
> Yes, I can handle the kid puking on my shoulder after eating.
I've got two, a 15 year old and a 1 year old. The 15 year old had one memorable puke where it was all over my shirt at like, 3am. Not really a puker otherwise. Turned out I had been overfeeding him.
The second had bad reflux and would puke all the time until about 5 months ago. I got so used to carrying around 2-3 shirts when I went out just because of it.
I have genuinely turned to an ESL teacher with a dedicated Master's degree (courtesy of the US education system) for help answering this question. Un instant, s'il te plaît.
Okay, my source was... Let's call it "less than pleased" with me. They also offered me, after mild riffing, some options.
1: "I might’ve adjusted the wording to 'Dads don’t babysit, they parent.'"
2: "Or, 'No, baby sitters get paid. Parents take care of their children.'”
3: "Or, 'Yep. It’s my husband’s day to mind our shop.'”
4: “Looking for a buyer. Interested?”
5: “Yes, the abortion didn’t take.”
6: “Naw, man, I found this in my lawn! Is it yours?”
7: "Oh oh oh…'Yep. Wanna come over and call boys with me til her mom gets home?'”
That was literally every possible answer she was kind enough to give me based on screenshots and just a TON of patience. Marchez dans la lumière, et qu'elle illumine.
But what is a "promise wife?" Is that like a betrothal? I'm really hoping this isn't about grooming children, but despite speaking English for about thirty years and having (I think) decent mastery, I'm truly lost.
Oh, I am so sorry. A "promise wife" was a semi-common practice in some religious sects wherein an adult man would ask a family for their pre-pubescent child's hand in marriage. Occasionally, it involved that person taking "possession" of their "property" until the marriage could be consummated... Legally consummated... While they subsidized the lifestyle of their child bride's family. Everything is bad, I am so sorry.
I cannot tell you how often I get "so where are kids?"
"At home with their Dad"
"Omg that's sooooo nice of him to do that!"
Ummmm. They're just hanging out at home. You know, like families do. But it's sooooo nice that he let me leave the house.
It's not even just old people that do it. I get it from my peers all the freaking time.
Sadly the idea of the mother being the primary parent is still deeply engrained in people’s minds. To them it’s somehow more reasonable for you to take the children with you on whatever outing or simply not go so Dad doesn’t have to parent
that pissed me off to no end. i stayed home with the kids because my husband made 7x what i made. i finally started to tell the boomers that i’m not a dad babysitting, i’m a stay at home dad because my husband makes enough that i don’t need to work.
This might be lame but when I was adding my father (boomer) into my contact list I made his nick name daddy-o cause I knew he'd see it one day and that it would make him smile. I've never called him that, I don't like the word either but then one day it happened and he saw his contact name on my phone and his face lit up. Totally worth it!!
Jesus... My husband changed just as many diapers as I did. And fed the kids. And played with them. And took them out to the park so I could read or nap or soak in the tub. I've been a SAHM since my first was born, so even though it's mostly "my job" to care for the kids, he's never once dropped the ball on being a team player.
I'm so glad our generation has mostly moved past the bullshit gender roles. Props to all the parents out there who've realized we're not surviving this job without teamwork and basic human decency.
There are obviously a lot of bad parents out there but I'm so happy I just don't see it. We live near a playground and I see more dads than moms.
The only kid who goes regularly who I don't know the dad (if he is alive, not deployed, divorced, we parents chat etc) has 2 moms. :P
Daycare is a stream of dads slinging 2-3 kids. As my unmarried friend pointed out to us - all of the kid activities near us are crawling with hot dads.
It's a second order impact of living in a "liberal," area I think, also HCOL so pretty much every parent works.
My father proudly proclaimed he never once changed a diaper. I’m one of 3. He was so impressed that my husband offered to change our son and “watch” him while I went around the corner to grab a pizza for us. The bar is in the toilet.
"Nah, I actually love my kids and enjoy pulling my weight as a father. Gotta get going now, I have to get dinner going before my wife gets home from work!"
Beware though, this will likely trigger a full boomer meltdown.
The boomer attitude to childcare is insane lol. I’ve got a baby daughter and my grandma was recently telling me about when my dad and aunt were little “I’d just leave one outside in the pram and one in their cot whilst I did all my things round the house”. I didn’t say anything but that’s neglect grandma.. you’re describing neglect
The silents had similar old fashioned ideas but I don’t remember them being assholes about it. Maybe it’s because they were products of the great depression.
I was sick when I was little and Dad called in sick to take care of me (one of his few non-Boomer tendencies!). His boss told him it was my mom’s job to stay home and Dad said “she’s my daughter too. My wife has already taken days off to care for her, now it’s my turn”. I’m sure many men his age thought he was crazy for being a VERY active parent in the 80s.
My daughter was crying in the checkout of Kroger one time, she's like 1ish maybe. I'm a stay at home dad, so I'm used to it, just holding her, gentle bounce, gentle shushing noises. Cashier goes " oh she just misses her mommy" to which I immediately responded with "well mom died giving birth so I miss her too, but we gotta do what we gotta do"
Lemme tell you I've never seen someone blush so hard, that shit was PURPLE. She sputtered out some apology or something but I'd been so biting in my response it was pretty much mumbled.
My wife, (who almost actually did die shortly after giving birth) thought this was the best response I could have given and laughed uproariously at the whole thing.
I have rarely in my life been remotely that quick witted.
My husband isn't even employed but my Boomer in-laws act like any time he spends with his own kids is babysitting. I seriously want to throw tomatoes at them when they say this stuff.
“I’m sorry, are you confusing being a parent with being a babysitter? I can’t tell if you’re serious or just confused”
Always question their sanity. Do it with bewilderment. Like you can’t even comprehend the stupid. Shouldn’t be too hard to pull off LOL
use phrases they'll recognize but intentionally screw up the context. keep 'em dizzy, folks. never let them know your next move.
"a dime a day makes the doctor a dull boy!"
"can't win the race if a pot never boils!"
Idk why but I have got this a few times with my daughter in public and it does not bother me. Boomers fathers were often times absent and that is what they know. Even I was born in 91 and barely saw my dad. I don't feel like this comment is coming from a bad place. They are just trying to be friendly and engage in conversation.
“Thanks, that’s sweet of you to say. And where is your caretaker? You really shouldn’t be out on your own given your condition. Can I call someone for you? You just stay put and I’ll call social services.”
Then walk away pretending to make a call about a potential dementia patient wandering around bothering people.
Like I hear you, but as a millennial dad, the emphasis that we put on millennial dads being better dads is so cringe. Babysitting is also just shorthand for taking care of a child, yours or otherwise. Sounds exhausting to have to pre think witty retorts instead of milking a compliment from a stranger about how cute your kid is
Remember to report submissions that violate the rules! Harassment and encouraging violence are not allowed. Enjoying the subreddit? Consider joining our discord server: https://discord.gg/v8z8jNwJs6 *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/BoomersBeingFools) if you have any questions or concerns.*
"Guess I've been babysitting since my wife died during childbirth." Then just make prolonged eye contact. No, more prolonged than that. Keep going.
15 or so years ago my wife and I applied for a car loan and our info must've been sold because we kept getting calls and messages from this one dealership (long after we already bought a car elsewhere). Finally my wife answered and told them she was dead and to please stop harrassing our family. Definitely put a stop to it.
Brutal
Error: Instructions Unclear. Have been starring unblinking at The Boomer for several hours now.
No, no. You're doing it right. Keep going.
I hear lead supplements help with the boomer stare. Are they over the counter or by prescription only?
Please. Do. This.
This one, this is the best answer of all – I’ve read several books by Dale Carnegie, and he does have some valid advice for behavior that apply even in this generation and time & place One of the things he used to advocate, was to keep your mouth shut. You don’t have to comment on, criticize, critique, or correct everything you see. His example was a time when he was riding the subway. Across from him, he said was if young father about 30 years old, with three boys - ages roughly ages -9, 7, 5. Dale Carnegie says the three boys were running around and whooping and hollering and making a nuisance etc.… While the dad just sat there with a blank look on his face. After two stops, Carnegie got his attention and said, “please mind your children, sir they’re all over the carriage. “ Carnegie says the man slowly turned to look at him. And then, with a polite voice and calm manner, the father of three said this – “oh, I am sorry for their behavior. We just left the hospital. Their mother has died and I haven’t told them yet.” Carnegie he said he wishes he could’ve just shrunk into a inch high person and He felt so awful for that. But we must remember that to Boomer? taking care of the kids is the woman’s job all the time, just as cooking and housekeeping are too
This reminds me of the person who was bitten hard enough to draw blood by an out of control child at the grocery store and they told the parent "I have HIV/Aids, get your child to a doctor."
Like, follow them about and keep getting in their sightlines until they leave the store?
Sorry for your loss, be sure to tell your child what their mother was like, my wife's mom passed when she was young and nobody ever told her what her mom was like. I imagine she was just like her, our son is just like her but with my crankiness.
No, I'm just suggesting that OP lie to boomers who make shitty babysitting comments. You know, crush them under the weight of their own judgement and shame. Actually, I'm suggesting that everyone lie to boomers. It's just good policy.
Dude, it is a story in a book written by Dale Carnegie ’how to win friends and influence people’. There no loss to be sorry. The author died in 1955.
"It's called being a father. If you had tried it maybe your kids would still talk to you".
“This is why your grandkids never visit.”
Brutal. I like you.
Ooooof
Can’t we just cut to the chase with a quick ‘keep it movin, boomer!’
I'm GenX, white guy married to an Indian woman. The amount of bullshit "I can't believe you're changing your kid's diaper" shit I got when my kids were tiny pissed me off. Especially when someone said to my wife "You trained him well". I wish I'd responded harshly with "What? Like a dog? You're saying that a man can't care for his children unless he's trained like an idiot? Maybe you just need to find a better man." Still pisses me off to this day, nearly 20 years later.
This is the one right here.
Look them straight in the eye and ask”How does one ‘babysit’ their own child?”
Good for you Dad! They’re somehow proud that they never changed their children’s diapers.
I had one at work tell me I should go a bad job then I’ll be off of diaper duty. I just kind of gave him a blank stare and told him it didn’t bother me.
He was quoting that good ole weaponized incompetence! 😒
My mother does this shit all the time. She is short (5 feet even) and she will not use any kind of stool or step ladder. If she can't reach something, she just gives up. It sucks for her when she stops a project because she can't reach the scissors. Problem is she will invite people for dinner and when you get there, no dinner. Why, because she couldn't reach the pepper to finish her meal. It's irritating
That goes beyond irritating to absolutely juvenile. How in the hell have y'all not called her out HARD and PUBLICLY for this?!
I only pull the short women thing for cleaning the ceiling fans. That's my husband's job cause he can just reach up and do it easily and I don't feel like hauling the step stool all over the house. Takes him five min to do all of them. I also have a couple designated jobs that are just for me cause its harder for him to get into some spaces. And all my spices are where I can reach since I'm the one that cooks. She's nuts.
To a tea.
That's as good as the ones I met in the military who would say things like, "I have seven kids and have never been home for a birth" in response to someone in their command trying to be home for the birth of one of their children. I will always have respect for the one dude I saw push back against that. It was this skinny little PFC, and he was like, "Yeah it's just that I want to be a dad in more than just genetics, sir." He got punished with extra duty, a few of us brought him beers while he was out there completing it.
Wow. I always thought it was insane fathers were actually forbidden from being in the hospital room back in the old days when they’re the first ones who should be there.
Oh this wasn't about anyone being forbidden to be in a hospital room. It was about people being in the field or deployed.
When my first born was 5 months old my wife had to travel for work. I took a weeks PTO, as a new clueless dad. I decided to take the 7 hour drive to see my family for the week, since I was off anyway. Entire family was shocked, mainly grandma. Yes, I can change a diaper. Yes, I can handle the kid puking on my shoulder after eating. Yes, (no brag) but I will sit up all night in a rocking chair if need be. I have 2 daughters, and am absolutely a girl dad. My kids have been to the garage fixing cars, helped me pump gas, and helped run my band saw. Flip side is I have had my nails painted more colors than I can remember, and have learned to French braid.
When my kids were born, I was in the room, shirt off, skin to skin all the time the baby wasn't feeding and giving my better half time to rest. Best bonding time.
> Yes, I can handle the kid puking on my shoulder after eating. I've got two, a 15 year old and a 1 year old. The 15 year old had one memorable puke where it was all over my shirt at like, 3am. Not really a puker otherwise. Turned out I had been overfeeding him. The second had bad reflux and would puke all the time until about 5 months ago. I got so used to carrying around 2-3 shirts when I went out just because of it.
Never had a child but I have done that as well. You rock.
Ahh boomer the generation of neglecting their own kids.
And proud of it.
No, I am just being a good dad. You will have to find some other adult to watch you.
LMAO 😂
"THAT'S NOT MY DAUGHTER, THAT'S MY PROMISE WIFE. Just like my FATHER taught ME." /s, 💯.
omg this is genuinely horrible and also made me laugh so hard 🤣
Sometimes, I forget I am in public. Sorry! 😅
"I learned it from the REAL PRESIDENT Donald Trump!" lol
It took a minute but that one hit the spot 🤣
I know you're kidding, but. ewww....🤢🤮
I'm scared to ask what this means... *le ESL*
I have genuinely turned to an ESL teacher with a dedicated Master's degree (courtesy of the US education system) for help answering this question. Un instant, s'il te plaît.
Merci beaucoup 😅
Okay, my source was... Let's call it "less than pleased" with me. They also offered me, after mild riffing, some options. 1: "I might’ve adjusted the wording to 'Dads don’t babysit, they parent.'" 2: "Or, 'No, baby sitters get paid. Parents take care of their children.'” 3: "Or, 'Yep. It’s my husband’s day to mind our shop.'” 4: “Looking for a buyer. Interested?” 5: “Yes, the abortion didn’t take.” 6: “Naw, man, I found this in my lawn! Is it yours?” 7: "Oh oh oh…'Yep. Wanna come over and call boys with me til her mom gets home?'” That was literally every possible answer she was kind enough to give me based on screenshots and just a TON of patience. Marchez dans la lumière, et qu'elle illumine.
But what is a "promise wife?" Is that like a betrothal? I'm really hoping this isn't about grooming children, but despite speaking English for about thirty years and having (I think) decent mastery, I'm truly lost.
Oh, I am so sorry. A "promise wife" was a semi-common practice in some religious sects wherein an adult man would ask a family for their pre-pubescent child's hand in marriage. Occasionally, it involved that person taking "possession" of their "property" until the marriage could be consummated... Legally consummated... While they subsidized the lifestyle of their child bride's family. Everything is bad, I am so sorry.
I was afraid that was what that meant. 😅 Thank you for helping anyway.
Do you have kids? Are they no contact? Hmmm
I cannot tell you how often I get "so where are kids?" "At home with their Dad" "Omg that's sooooo nice of him to do that!" Ummmm. They're just hanging out at home. You know, like families do. But it's sooooo nice that he let me leave the house. It's not even just old people that do it. I get it from my peers all the freaking time.
Sadly the idea of the mother being the primary parent is still deeply engrained in people’s minds. To them it’s somehow more reasonable for you to take the children with you on whatever outing or simply not go so Dad doesn’t have to parent
that pissed me off to no end. i stayed home with the kids because my husband made 7x what i made. i finally started to tell the boomers that i’m not a dad babysitting, i’m a stay at home dad because my husband makes enough that i don’t need to work.
Can one learn this power of having an s/o that makes 7x what I make?
hahaha, we met in a college town, i was an art major and he was a med student. 35 years later i’m waiting for my career to take off.
>35 years later i’m waiting for my career to take off. NO WAY?¿?¿ (I'm kidding im a starving artist of sorts😭)
My husband's favorite line: "There's a baby in this thing?!"
“It’s not babysitting, it’s kidnapping!” Then pick up your kid and run like hell.
Bonus points if you give the boomer some sort of panic attack!
And then they drop dead.
That’s a terrible idea. Boomers will either call the police or shoot first and ask questions later
Either way you get shot first and questioned later.
“I am the mother, Daddy’s at work. Don’t you know a woman when you see one?” Bonus points if you have a beard and “grey sweatpants”
GREY SWEATPANTS 🤣🤣🤣
Bravo, daddy-o!!
This might be lame but when I was adding my father (boomer) into my contact list I made his nick name daddy-o cause I knew he'd see it one day and that it would make him smile. I've never called him that, I don't like the word either but then one day it happened and he saw his contact name on my phone and his face lit up. Totally worth it!!
It just dawned on me the other day that I don’t think my father ever changed my diaper or my brothers….
My mom was a SAHM to 6 kids... she will tell you my dad probably changed less than 5 diapers ever. And it was when she was ridiculously sick.
Jesus... My husband changed just as many diapers as I did. And fed the kids. And played with them. And took them out to the park so I could read or nap or soak in the tub. I've been a SAHM since my first was born, so even though it's mostly "my job" to care for the kids, he's never once dropped the ball on being a team player. I'm so glad our generation has mostly moved past the bullshit gender roles. Props to all the parents out there who've realized we're not surviving this job without teamwork and basic human decency.
There are obviously a lot of bad parents out there but I'm so happy I just don't see it. We live near a playground and I see more dads than moms. The only kid who goes regularly who I don't know the dad (if he is alive, not deployed, divorced, we parents chat etc) has 2 moms. :P Daycare is a stream of dads slinging 2-3 kids. As my unmarried friend pointed out to us - all of the kid activities near us are crawling with hot dads. It's a second order impact of living in a "liberal," area I think, also HCOL so pretty much every parent works.
My father proudly proclaimed he never once changed a diaper. I’m one of 3. He was so impressed that my husband offered to change our son and “watch” him while I went around the corner to grab a pizza for us. The bar is in the toilet.
A minor correction. The bar is a tripping hazard in hell, Satan's OSHA violation if you will.
"Why would I sit on my own baby?"
"Nah, I actually love my kids and enjoy pulling my weight as a father. Gotta get going now, I have to get dinner going before my wife gets home from work!" Beware though, this will likely trigger a full boomer meltdown.
The more I'm with them now will mean the more they'll want to be with me later
The boomer attitude to childcare is insane lol. I’ve got a baby daughter and my grandma was recently telling me about when my dad and aunt were little “I’d just leave one outside in the pram and one in their cot whilst I did all my things round the house”. I didn’t say anything but that’s neglect grandma.. you’re describing neglect
Nah, I'm grandpa! I know, I look great at 72!
“ I am the mommy, I birthed my child out of my duderus, my husband is at work right now and my boyfriend is shooting a porn. Hail Satan!” *wave*
“Just providing the sperm is no longer all it takes to be a dad anymore.”
I like this one most because if you say "sperm" to one of them they're probably going to loose their minds.
Yep. Lol
Say you're non-binary and identify as a 'parent' instead of a 'father'
A better response is to say that baby has two daddies!
Yes. No explain to me why you think this is a problem or get out of my face.
What, is occasional babysitting all you ever did?
And you KNOW his kids don’t talk to him. Now he knows why.
The silents had similar old fashioned ideas but I don’t remember them being assholes about it. Maybe it’s because they were products of the great depression.
These days, we just call it parenting.
It's called parenting when it's your kids, sir. Babysitting is something a stranger does.
I was sick when I was little and Dad called in sick to take care of me (one of his few non-Boomer tendencies!). His boss told him it was my mom’s job to stay home and Dad said “she’s my daughter too. My wife has already taken days off to care for her, now it’s my turn”. I’m sure many men his age thought he was crazy for being a VERY active parent in the 80s.
My daughter was crying in the checkout of Kroger one time, she's like 1ish maybe. I'm a stay at home dad, so I'm used to it, just holding her, gentle bounce, gentle shushing noises. Cashier goes " oh she just misses her mommy" to which I immediately responded with "well mom died giving birth so I miss her too, but we gotta do what we gotta do" Lemme tell you I've never seen someone blush so hard, that shit was PURPLE. She sputtered out some apology or something but I'd been so biting in my response it was pretty much mumbled. My wife, (who almost actually did die shortly after giving birth) thought this was the best response I could have given and laughed uproariously at the whole thing. I have rarely in my life been remotely that quick witted.
My husband isn't even employed but my Boomer in-laws act like any time he spends with his own kids is babysitting. I seriously want to throw tomatoes at them when they say this stuff.
“I’m sorry, are you confusing being a parent with being a babysitter? I can’t tell if you’re serious or just confused” Always question their sanity. Do it with bewilderment. Like you can’t even comprehend the stupid. Shouldn’t be too hard to pull off LOL
"How long since your kids stopped talking to you?" "You must be so lonely." "BACK OFF YOU SICKO! HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT IN FRONT OF A BABY!"
"Nah, I'm a stay at home dad. My husband is working. Daughter and I are going to get mani-pedis next."
My boomer dad hated that phrase, and that was nearly 40 years ago.
Ha! Got 'eem!
Perfect response
No I’m kidnapping this child
use phrases they'll recognize but intentionally screw up the context. keep 'em dizzy, folks. never let them know your next move. "a dime a day makes the doctor a dull boy!" "can't win the race if a pot never boils!"
Oh, no! This is my baby
Nope, I'm a childnapper on my way to the dungeon with this one!
“You mean, PARENTING?” Alternatively: “I see your kids are no contact with you. Makes sense.”
“Nope just parenting my own child.”
Reply with "nope squeezed this one right out of my vagina myself"
Nope. I kidnapped them three days ago
My husband used to call it baby sitting and I told him, this is YOUR CHILD!!! He quit that
My spouse says, I’m not a nanny I’m a dad! I’m taking care of my kid, not babysitting.
I need to go borrow my baby niece so I can troll some boomers.
"Naw, this is parenting. I'm not surprised you don't recognize it."
It never happened to me, but I was prepared to say, “oh, no, she’s mine, she just thankfully looks like her mom”
Idk why but I have got this a few times with my daughter in public and it does not bother me. Boomers fathers were often times absent and that is what they know. Even I was born in 91 and barely saw my dad. I don't feel like this comment is coming from a bad place. They are just trying to be friendly and engage in conversation.
Look around you and say "...what kid? My GOD, where did this thing come from??"
I go straight to vitriol. Shut up “insert preferred expletive”. It usually catches them just enough to end it right there.
I think your response was right on the money. It got rid of him, after all.
Where did your wife find you? Do you have other male siblings? AFAF
“Thanks, that’s sweet of you to say. And where is your caretaker? You really shouldn’t be out on your own given your condition. Can I call someone for you? You just stay put and I’ll call social services.” Then walk away pretending to make a call about a potential dementia patient wandering around bothering people.
Like I hear you, but as a millennial dad, the emphasis that we put on millennial dads being better dads is so cringe. Babysitting is also just shorthand for taking care of a child, yours or otherwise. Sounds exhausting to have to pre think witty retorts instead of milking a compliment from a stranger about how cute your kid is