Sunday 1st August 2020

I took George to Pets at Home earlier to get some treats for Frank (the hamster). We were in the queue when a young lad and a girl walked in with a dog. The dog barked so George barked back (as he ALWAYS does, it's called echolalia...) and the lad gave him a filthy look and said "SHUT UP."

Before I could even speak, George very politely said "excuse me, don't tell me to shut up."

The guy replied "well you're setting the dog off."

I said "So what??? He's an autistic child, don't you DARE speak to him like that....and I think you'll find your dog started him off!"

I was absolutely furious....! I apologised to the staff for losing my shit and the guy that was serving me said "don't apologise - I completely understand, my eldest is autistic."

I left the shop shaking with fury and we got George a "Mr Whiffy" (as he calls it) from the ice cream van. We went into Home Bargains and a man approached me and said "I was just in Pets at Home and I told that dickhead that his dog barking will be the least of his worries if he ever does that again."

I felt really very proud of George, firstly for sticking up for himself and secondly for doing it so politely (he's VERY sweary at the moment so it could have been much more offensive).

We got to the till and George said to the young lad serving us "excuse me young man.....I've been shopping in Home fucking Bargains."

I said "I'm really sorry about his language......he's autistic."

George said to him "yeh sorry about my language....I'm fucking autistic."

Never a dull moment.....