...strangers touching your kids?

When I say touching I mean, holding their hand, stroking their face/head etc

I've just been reading a thread on another forum about this and I'm shocked at how many people hate it and are offended by it

We went out for lunch yesterday and the waitress who seated us took Hannah's hand and lead us to our table, she then picked up Hannah and gave her a squidge and popped her in a highchair for us, I thought this was so lovely of her but from the replies I've read some people would go mad at a stranger doing that with their child. When they were teeny loads of people would come along and talk to them in their pram/buggy and stick their finger in their little fists for a squeeze or talk to them and give them a gentle stroke on the head/cheek - again I though this was lovely but obviously some people don't.

What are your feelings on this sort of thing? Obviously I wouldn't want anyone sticking their fingers in my kids mouths etc for germ reasons but I can't think of any reason why a stranger would do that anyway

xx

i think it would depend who it was if it was a creepy looking man i would not be pleased, but the the likes of the waitress or someone like that it wouldnt bother me x

I dont mind it when its clean people if you know what I mean, if a waitress done that to my babies i would think thats really sweet , but hated when a man whos fingers were yellow from nicotine and stank kept touching my sons face it was horriible , I was really upset but genrally i like when people want to play with my babies and i find it very hard to resist putting my finger in a little babies squidgy fist lol <3

Something like that wouldnt actually bother me at all.

As long as I am there to see it, then I dont really see a problem with it. People always grab my kids hands or stroke their cheeks. Its nice that they think they are cute.

James is the exact opposite. As you know, a year or so ago, somebody who I have known since I was 10 years old, kissed Aimee on the top of her head and James went nuts (because he didnt know him).

x

Well the particular thread I was reading was about a lady who was upset that an old man in the docs waiting room had come over to talk to her 9 month old and then gently stroked his cheek before saying goodbye.

I would personally find that sweet, it probably brightened the old guys day, people love babies and babies love interaction so I don't get the issue. I also wouldn't judge someone on how they looked, except extreme cases like if a tramp came over breathing all over my kids I guess that would freak me out a bit but I would still be polite and just move away.

xx

Callums had people when were shopping in the trollley normally old ladys talking to him and sometimes they touch his hands/cheek it doesnt bother me does bother Callum tho x

I actually used to really hate this but Amelia is very prone to infections and has a very crappy immune system because of being prem. Because she was so tiny she seemed to attract people, I suppose not many people see a 4 and a half lb baby whos able to hold their head up look around and shout back at you lol

I dont mind anymore because to be fair shes crawling around on the floor eating peoples shoes the majority of the time so someone stroking her head isnt going to make much difference

I'm fine with it as long as it is appropriate touching iykwim. Touching their arm, hair or cheek is fine with me as long as I'm there with Cerys xx

As long as they are clean and sober then I have no problem.
Had a drunk bloke on the bus once trying to kiss Flick and stuff and I panicked, luckily some other bloke gave him a bollocking!

I don't mind it but there is a limit. Around christmas time I went for a meal at the local cantonese place and the waitress took an instant interest to Ollie to the point where she was constantly standing behind him with her hands in his shoulders...made me feel a bit uncomfortable, little did I know that that was probably the least of my worries when half way through our meal she walked over, unclipped the highchair straps, lifted him out and walked off with him!! I was gobsmacked!!! I sat there watching very closely just getting ready to fly across the room at her if she left my sight. She then put him down over the other side of the restaurant and got on with her jobs?! She kept taking him then even after we told her no We won't be taking him there again!! The weird thing is that there was another 2 little girls roughly about the same age as Ollie and she didn't bat an eyelid at them once?!

I read the same post Debs on netmums. It wouldnt bother me at all unless it was some skanky druggy and you see lots of old people smile at your kids when out and about i wouldnt mind them touching the kids hands etc. That post made me feel sad because you dont know what the old guy was in the docs for, he could have weeks to live and talking to that child made him happy x

i don't mind it, lewis gets alot of rubs on his head, people taking his hand etc, i think it's sweet as long as the person isn't skanky/inappropriate with it, and as has been said, it probably brightens that person's day
what i DON't like is when people stare in the pram/wheelchair at lily-ann...i know it's mostly curiosity about what's 'wrong' with her and stuff but i would much prefer someone to approach her and chatter to her to try and get an idea rather than staring at her

I hate it and I think I give out those vibes because even if people start moving in on Jamie then they stop. That's more because I have personal space issues though. I don't like people getting too close to me or touching me (except for a very few) so that's probably why. I have no problem with them talking to him or trying to make him laugh though

I dont mind it as long as its not a pervy looking man lol

Char

It doesn't bother me and I've never really thought about it offending people either. In my job I'm handling people's newborn babies all the time, but I always ask if they mind me picking them up first. If baby cries when we're doing photos I wouldn't think twice about stroking them or picking them up to comfort them and never get a bad response from mums, although dads can sometimes be a little odd.

I remember when we were out for dinner once and the waitress took a real shine to Chloe and asked if she could have a cuddle, we didn't mind at all, thought it was really sweet

Nope doesn't bother me at all. We've taken Ellie to north Cyprus quite a few times, it's a Turkish republic and the Turks love kids and even the blokes used to want to pick her up for a cuddle

It doesn't bother me at all as long as it is in the right context, i actually think it's lovely when other people take an interest in my children. I do understand that some people are funny about it though, and wouldn't touch someone else's child unless i knew them well or they fell into me or something similar.

I was in the library a few months ago and this little girl wanted to give me a kiss (random i know!) and i said 'oh bless you don't want my germs do you?', the mum (who i only know from around town) just said oh yes she wants a kiss, so i did as i didn't want to reject her and her mum seemed fine about it, but it just felt weird! She was the sweetest little girl though! However, I would be a little concerned if my girls wanted to kiss random people! x

im not too btohered but i do think theres a limit. a ruffle of the hair or a stroke on the cheek is fine - anything else and i get a bit edgy! x

BabyMilly wrote:

Nope doesn't bother me at all. We've taken Ellie to north Cyprus quite a few times, it's a Turkish republic and the Turks love kids and even the blokes used to want to pick her up for a cuddle

France is similar, a waitress would think nothing of picking up Izzy and giving her a cuddle and talking to her...I dont mind that at all

I think it's sweet when ppl take an interest, especially the elderly. Maky is the mascot for both grocery stores here in town, and they all coo over her..some even take her for a stroll while I shop. I would have a problem with someone who was drunk or stoned, or just looked off coming up to my kids tho. But in general, not at all. xxx

I have no issues with it at all, I had more issues with people touching my bump I hated random strangers doing it

I think its all about the context. Someone who is clean and sober and just touches hair etc is no big deal (they have more to worry about if c is about she goes nuts if anyone touches awen) but i have had a drunk bloke leaning in the pram before and Neil thought he was gonna have to pin me to the floor as he could see my hackles go up. And i probably wouldnt want them kissing my kids etc so i guess im somewhere in the middle. Your waitress debs wouldnt have bothered me for example but Litas one would have had her head removed

I must admit I used to be really funny about it but now so much more relaxed. Libby couldnt be less shy so she will talk to anyone and everyone and most people love it so shes been touched a fair fews times (pat on the head, stroked cheek, some people have given her sweets etc.). And Dexter well he just LOVES elderly people! He is such a charmer and his whole face lights up when he smiles so they just love him and always stroke his face, touch his hands etc. Doesnt bother me at all now.

Well after saying i wouldn't touch someone's child i didn't know, i ended up picking up a child at the soft play earlier. Poor little lamb was in a heap on the floor crying and mummy was nowhere to be seen, so i picked him up and took him to find her. Felt a bit uncomfortable doing it but didn't want him upset x