Mean Postal Worker

That would bug me to, but I'd just let it go. It's not really worth getting upset and putting energy into it. The guy may not have been meaning to be mean, but just a little insensitive.

I am not taking this lightly at all but have you ever heard that statement "Go Postal on you"? There is a reason. On more than one occasion there have been situations with postal workers acting out or just let's be honest, strange. It's similar to the mentally ill transient (bless their hearts) that scream or say rude things as you pass..you just move on as to not cause more of a situation.

You've gotten so many great thoughts that I read and I am like you, I want to right the wrongs and I just get so fed up with rudeness these days but there is far more to be concerned with when he knows where you are and when you are home.

Blessings :)

I have had some spectacular falls and I laugh at myself! One of them I tore my ACL, still laughing through the pain. Falls are funny, they just are. I don't think he was mean by laughing and since she wasn't injured I am sure it was obvious she was fine. I am sure if she shot him the please help me look he would have come over and helped. There is also a chance he could get in trouble if he did anything or left his go cart.

You are just being all mommy and protective.

Forgive me, but I am SURE it was funny. Sometimes when people fall, it's funny. She did not get hurt. He probably had no idea that the wind got knocked out of her. He is a GUY!!
Men are clueless... especially with falls.
Chalk it up to what it was -- a fall.
She wasn't bleeding.
She was probably embarrassed and his reaction upset her.
I would have told her that she probably looked pretty funny when she fell and that's why he laughed. He did not laugh to be mean, I'm sure...
LBC

I don't know, I would let this go. Several months ago we were all outside with our kids and one of the neighborhood children skated into a garbage can. He was obviously not hurt and in all honesty, we all laughed. It was funny. My husband asked (while laughing) if he was okay. He was and skated on.

Let this one go. I doubt he was being nasty.

Don't do anything about it! If this person is anything like our horrible postal worker, then they will retaliate, and believe me when I say that it's not pretty!

Aw! Your poor little one! I'm glad she wasn't really hurt.

I know lots of grown up men who think that "laugh it off" is the best approach to childhood injuries. They think if you laugh the child suddenly realizes they are not in pain and will get up and walk away.

There will be other battles of people who are intentionally mean directly to your child for you to fight. Hard as it is, as much as you might want to call the post office and complain, let it go mom.

You do constantly have to explain why people are mean and it is not OK for us to be mean back. Maybe if we all keep doing that there will be fewer mean people.....

That does sound mean! But I would not write a note or anything, why start a fight? Also, it could have been a cultural difference, when I lived overseas I learned that in East Asia people will laugh when they are embarrassed either for themselves or for another person. It is not meant to be cruel; it is like saying "How embarrassing for you! I understand how you feel." So MAYBE that is how he intended it, or maybe he was ruefully remembering all the times he used to fall when trying to rollerblade or roller-skate, it’s possible.

Yah it was mean.
But if you go and put a nasty note for him... he may be nasty back. To you or your daughter or your mailbox.

Just tell your daughter, not everyone is nice. Some people don't even have a reason.
She is 11. She probably knows that by now.

I would not put my energy into this. Not sure what you want from leaving a nasty note.. To continue the meaness? To make him feel bad? Is this who you are? It has never been my impression of you through your posts..

He was probably exhausted, depressed and it was just a response to everything going on in his life right now. Like, "welcome to my world kid.."

Just remind your daughter that not everyone is very helpful, but that does not mean we need to be like that. Look for the good things you see or observe.. It IS happening all of the time.

It was wrong of your mailman to laugh and definately not nice to not at least say "Are you ok?"; confronting him would also be wrong (especially since she wasn't hurt).

To explain it to your daughter you can simply say "yeah, it wasn't very nice so remember not to do that to anyone else" and "do unto others as you would have them do unto you".

If you can move past it, so will your daughter. Be frank with her if it comes up again. "You're right, it really sucked that he laughed instead of asking if you needed help. It's good that you'll know what to do if you see someone fall." You don't have to explain *why* he did what he did, you can just chalk it up to the inexplicable unfairness of the universe, give your daughter a little empathy and your confidence that *she* will do the kind thing at the right time.

I guess the response depends on what you want. Do you want to notify his supervisor that he was rude to your child? Or do you want to just let it ride? If he wasn't in a USPS truck and laughed, what would you do? If it makes you feel better, you could consider documenting it and sending a letter to the local postmaster. Just say something like "I feel this behavior from a USPS worker in uniform is unprofessional." or something.

I wouldn't leave a note on the mailboxes and I wouldn't go all Momma Bear. Be calm, be short, and be direct. Include the date, time, and route so they can narrow down which delivery person was out on your street at that time.

Then give her a hug and move on.

That was pretty mean. I would never laugh at a child that fell. I would definitely ask if they were okay. I've had a strange kid fall at a store next to me and I've asked if they were okay even when the parent is next to them. But that is just me and not everyone is as caring toward children. I would just let it go. Just explain to your child that some people are not as nice as others and the best thing you can do it to let it go and not let it upset you.

Hello, I would just leave it alone. He is who he is. There are a lot more just like him and he will not change. Sorry. I'm sorry that your daughter has had to learn this so early.
Good luck with your precious family.
K. K.

My fear is that your postal worker, not unlike your waiter, is capable of retaliation in ways you can't even imagine. (I won't mention what I saw some waiters do to mean customers). Also, I think the post office is a pretty brutal place to work these days, especially given the financial situation of the institution, and the incredible workload during this time of year. It's really hard to work all day on your feet every day. Seems like it explains some of his behavior, at any rate. You have every right to be angry, but there are some things that just aren't worth it. Merry Christmas, by the way.

Ok...so I may be on my own with this one but I really think that it is important to balance "turn the other cheak" with a sense of pride, integrity and confidence - which means that you sometimes need to stick up for yourself (and teach your kids to do the same). Dont get me wrong, I am not saying that you should go beat the guy up or anything, but sometimes rude/mean people need to be put in their place. I think if he is in your path in the next day/two I would say something like - "I heard that you laughed at my daughter after she fell the other day - and that was not appropriate. She is a child and could have been hurt and your actions were rude and I dont appreciate it" and leave it at that. Sometimes these people didnt have a mother to teach them common decency, so (unfortunately) they must learn the hard way as an adult - and be scolded for their behavior. The trick is being bold but not aggressive (calm but firm). And like some of the other comments - you may have a back lash (but I would call his boss if that happens)

If you dont see him within a day - just let it go...

If he is rude like this to others in your neighborhood (known for this kind of behavior) I would call the post office and ask to speak to his boss - he IS someone's employee.. let the boss deal with him.

Only you and your daughter know how bad the incident was - use your judgement (after you have calmed down) on what you should do.