The First Step To Revenge

We have one mother at our daycare who is the absolute worst. She’s entitled, snobby, rude, and a cheapskate, she’s always late in picking up her child, and she’s always complaining to our head office to get us into trouble for non-issues; she actually managed to get one of us fired. She is evil.

I am tidying up a play area while my coworker is looking after this mother’s child. The mother is late again, and it’s a half-hour after we close. The mother finally waltzes in and picks up her child. My coworker talks to her while I continue what closing duties I can. Suddenly, I see the mother stiffen and walk out slowly without complaining like she usually does.

Me: “What did you say to her that shut her up so much?”

Coworker: “Oh, I just congratulated her child for taking his first steps.”

Me: “But he hasn’t managed to walk yet.”

Coworker: “Oh, I know, but she doesn’t know that. Now she’ll think she’s missed his first steps.”

At first, it seemed cruel to take that away from her, but as her nasty behavior continued and actually got worse, I felt less and less sorry for her.