How would you have handle this?

[happygirl]

Yesterday, my uncle who I'm going to guess is close to 50 who all of sudden said he wanted to go first in the line he didn't want any of the kids touching silverware or the kids to breating on the food he might have ate I kinda of took that personal I wasn't the only one with kids there but it still kinda of hurt my feelings.

 

[golfgal]

So....

Maybe he is worried about getting sick. I wouldn't have thought twice about it and probably would have had a good laugh over it.

 

[GailT]

Was he joking with you? I don't know how I would of taken that, I fly off the handle easy so I might of said something to the effect " you would be better off going home and eating and dont let the door hit you in the A__

 

[anniemae]

Were any of the kids coughing or sneezing? Let's face it, kids can be gross sometimes, and yes, my little darling has been know to wipe her nose with her hand and carry on with life So if it was buffet style, maybe he did not want to touch the handles after the kids, or eat mashed potatoes that the little ones stuck their fingers in etc.

Maybe he saw the kids were sick, or hadn't washed their hands etc. and wanted to go before them. As a fellow germ-o-phobe, I would not have been offended. Especially since there are so many viruses going around now.

 

[happygirl]

Was he joking with you? I don't know how I would of taken that, I fly off the handle easy so I might of said something to the effect " you would be better off going home and eating and dont let the door hit you in the A__

No he was dead serious. I wanted so bad to touch all the silverware not mature but that what I wanted to do

 

[Becky2005]

Hmmm...if this is unusual stuff, makes me wonder what happened last year. Not for you personally since you said others have kids too but maybe he saw something with the kids that the others didn't catch. It happens. The other thing is, he might have been at some other function not too long ago & saw something with other kids.

Then again, without knowing the tone, hard to tell. I could easily see my dad saying something like that but he wouldn't rush to be first, just could see him saying a comment like that if he happened to be first -- he does it in jest though but it may not be obvious to those that don't know him that he says it in jest.

I probably wouldn't have thought much of it but then again, my family is nuts & we never know what is going to happen from year to year. We probably would have been like "OK..whatever" and laughed it off.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I would just think he is worried about getting sick and think nothing of it. Can't say I blame him. Heck we have had the flu twice in our family.

ETA....

Now that I think about your post, I suppose buffets are not the best way to serve dinner during H1N1. It would be better if one or two people were serving.

At a dinner last night the mom who is 43, I think, is recovering from a side effect of H1N1. A virus attacked her heart. It is enlarged and they said she is in CHF (congestive heart failure).

 

[MiniGirl]

I would've let him go first. No big deal.

 

[mickeymedic]

In our family the eldest generation goes through the food line first, then the next generation and so forth. Thus, the kids are last anyways. It makes sense to do it this way - shows respect to the elders and I guess it would also minimize the risk of germy kids (although I don't think any of us would have even considered that aspect.)

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Was he joking with you? I don't know how I would of taken that, I fly off the handle easy so I might of said something to the effect " you would be better off going home and eating and dont let the door hit you in the A__

Sister? Is that you?
I would have done the same thing.

 

[BelleWDW]

I can see his point

Yesterday-the kids were all playing ouside & jumping on the trampoline.

When it was time to eat noone washed hands-so if you are a germaphobic person-it makes sense to me.

 

[nutterbutter2010]

H1N1 is out there. The flu is out there. Kids can be carrier monkeys. I understand where he is coming from. Would you rather he used a sanitizing wipe instead?

 

[Boston Tea Party]

In our family the eldest generation goes through the food line first, then the next generation and so forth. Thus, the kids are last anyways. It makes sense to do it this way - shows respect to the elders and I guess it would also minimize the risk of germy kids (although I don't think any of us would have even considered that aspect.)

Absolutely. The eldest go first as a show of respect.

 

[golfgal]

Absolutely. The eldest go first as a show of respect.

We always have had the kids go first so we could help them dish up and then we could eat without interruptions. Now that the kids are old enough (most of them anyway) everyone just gets in line.

 

[Planogirl]

In our family the eldest generation goes through the food line first, then the next generation and so forth. Thus, the kids are last anyways. It makes sense to do it this way - shows respect to the elders and I guess it would also minimize the risk of germy kids (although I don't think any of us would have even considered that aspect.)

The trouble is that he is only 50 and at most family gatherings there are likely some older than that. It appears that he wanted to be first which sounds a little odd without knowing why.

 

[clovergirl5]

Kids aren't the only ones with bad handwashing habits. Alot of adults don't wash. (think after using the bathroom at Walmart )Who's to say he had cleaner hands than the kids? In this day and age with h1n1, a couple servers wearing serving gloves is such a great idea

In our family, the kids go first and the moms help them get their food. Really, the kids never touch anything exept holding their own plate and plasticware.
For us, the kids always went first to get them seated and settled so the adults could relax and not have to worry about helping kids get their food while they were trying to eat their own food. I think whatever works for your family is the way to do it. Its not a ? of respecting or disrespecting anyone at least in our family get-togethers.

I do think what he did was rude and I would have taken it the way you did happygirl. But then again, it doesn't take much to get a rise outta me

 

[clovergirl5]

I would just think he is worried about getting sick and think nothing of it. Can't say I blame him. Heck we have had the flu twice in our family.

ETA....

Now that I think about your post, I suppose buffets are not the best way to serve dinner during H1N1. It would be better if one or two people were serving.

At a dinner last night the mom who is 43, I think, is recovering from a side effect of H1N1. A virus attacked her heart. It is enlarged and they said she is in CHF (congestive heart failure).

That is so sad. Is she family? Im so sorry for her and her family.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

That is so sad. Is she family? Im so sorry for her and her family.

She was at the dinner and I said shouldn't you be at home resting and she said she wanted to come and see everyone.

I will say she did not look so hot and was pretty short of breath.

She is my dh's dd's mom. We found out 3ishyrs ago my dh had a dd. She is 25 and has 3 kids, which makes us grandparents and my kids are half sisters & aunts. DH's dd invited us for Thanksgiving with her family.

 

[JessicaR]

So....

Maybe he is worried about getting sick. I wouldn't have thought twice about it and probably would have had a good laugh over it.

This was my first thought too.

My BIL is a germaphobe and does things like this. I would try and not take this behavior personally.

 

[krcit]

This was my first thought too.

My BIL is a germaphobe and does things like this. I would try and not take this behavior personally.

I agree. He may just be a bit worried about the flu. There were stories the last few days about how Thanksgiving would hasten the spread of the flu because so many people are all together in small places. I really wouldn't let it bother me but then again I'm a bit of a germ-a-phobe myself, lol. I think I offended my future SIL yesterday by accident. I had just poured a soda and my brothers BIL wanted to taste it(it was Diet Coke with lime) so he took a sip and then future SIL also took a sip I had to get a new one. I just cpouldn't drink it after 2 other people had sipped from my glass. Future SIL looked at me like I was crazy so I just apologized and blamed it on my phobias, lol.