to be saddened by oveeprotective(?) mom?

[ChaosTrulyReigns]

Not sure if overprotective is the right word here.

I've just smiled at a toddler in a shop, she reminded me very much of DD2 at about 3. Same curls, same build, and wearing a similar coat to one she used to wear all those years ago.

I think I got lost in a bit of a reverie, and perhaps did more than a glance at the child.

The mom turned and hissed at me "stop staring at her".

Think I'm a bit over sensitive atm, but that was uncalled for wasn't it?

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

Yes, uncalled for a and bloody rude!!

Christ, whats wrong with the world when you can even smile at someones kid anymore.....I despair !! confused]

[SheelaNeGig]

Yes. It was.

Have

[D0oinMeCleanin]

It was uncalled for. Most people smile at children. It makes me smile when people smile at mine. Seeing that they have brightened someone's day for a moment, because they are being unusually nice or sweet, is a nice feeling.

Overprotective mom was a loon.

YANBU.

[ChaosTrulyReigns]

Thanks, thought I was being over sensitive, but I guess not.

Some people can act strangely can't they?

Thanks, Sheels, am in Costa scene if the crime atm.

[elliejjtiny]

YANBU. I always smile at twins, especially if they are wearing matching outfits. Or babies [broody emoticon]

[Moomoomie]

Totally uncalled for, but given what is in the news at the moment, I think a lot of mums are being a lot more protective of their children.
It is very sad that one cannot smile at a child. It is also very sad that a child cannot play outside their house with friends.

[EchoBitch]

Sad old world isn't it?

Have a nice and a biscuit,she was mean.

[RubyFakeNails]

Ridiculous woman.

Should have said baby was staring at you.

I don't smile at children but if I wanted to I would be most pissed off by that grumpy cow.

No reasoning for it at all.

[TroublesomeEx]

Were you dressed like <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=child+catcher+chitty+chitty+bang+bang&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1280&bih=709&tbm=isch&tbnid=54M3HoTulXHAAM:&imgrefurl=www.englishforum.ch/general-off-topic/155055-tv-villains-2.html&docid=agQqZp4phV9aFM&imgurl=www.englishforum.ch/attachments/general-off-topic/48367d1346139469-tv-villains-chitty_chitty_bang_xl_01.jpg&w=400&h=300&ei=4Q1sUIGeOOrD0QX29ICoAw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=562&vpy=188&dur=110&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=125&ty=114&sig=117859279707218774626&page=1&tbnh=139&tbnw=207&start=0&ndsp=17&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:91" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">this?

I always smile at babies and toddlers.

She was rude and a bit hysterical!

[cheekybarsteward]

Did the child have some sort of affliction (other than her mother) that she thought you might have been staring at?

[Sparklingbrook]

I have done that. As a parent of a 10 and 13 year old DSs if I see a blonde blue eyed toddler boy I get a bit dreamy. One little one rushed past me in Next and he looked so like DS2 at that age I probably had more than a glance at him. I got in the car and got a bit weepy. The Mum didn't notice me looking though but she may have had the same reaction as you got Chaos.

[SoleSource]

Folkgirl lmao!


Ooooh ffs you did nothing wrobg st all.

or else? Would have been my reply

[FrankWippery]

YABU to be in Costa.

YANBU to think this mother is a fruit loop.

HTH

[geegee888]

Gosh, more like an angry tigress than a human mother! Its a jungle out there, dontchaknow!

YANBU. They will be the mothers accompanying their DCs to job interviews when they're older!

[CuriousMama]

What a nutter, her not you.

I once helped a small toddler who was tipping a buggy backwards, I stopped it hitting the floor when an old crone snatched it off me and snarled 'I don't need your help'. Ermm yes you did Luckily I didn't have PMS at the time

[sugarice]

I automatically smile at a happy baby or smiley toddler, it's normal maternal behaviour isn't it? The Mother is clearly bonkers!

[boiledprat]

OMG, Folkgirl, he used to frighten me as a child!!!

YANBU, that's just horrid. Even if she was weary, she did not need to say anything. I saw a mum of 6 month old twins struggling to feed one and have a cup of tea in coffee shop, you can imagine how everyone around was staring, I asked if i could pick up her DS who was howling as my youngest was asleep and she managed to have her tea and feed the other twin.
Can't imagine what I'd have done if she'd shunned me or been downright rude. FFS...

[CookingFunt]

I was staring at a lovely little curly haired baby this morning. I was reminded of DC1 as a baby and the mother gave me a strange look.

[Floggingmolly]

She's a loon. How can hissing "stop staring at her" be explained away as over protectiveness?
She was there, with her daughter, you were no threat even if you wanted to be. Some people are just plain weird. Ignore.

[TroublesomeEx]

Evil

[OxfordBags]

Oh, some people are loons. I once found a toddler crying his eyes out in Tesco because he couldn't find his mum. I was just telling him I'd help him when a woman ran up and snatched him, screeching "get your fucking hands off him, you paedo bitch!". I pulled up my judgeypants and pointed out that I was only helping her son, but I got told to fuck off and she then clouted the boy round the ear and called him some foul name and huffed off. Delightful.

And I smiled at a cute baby just yesterday and his mother scowled and covered her face with her hand, as though I could kidnap or abuse her with my eyes, or something. I was carrying a wriggly kid of my own, I dunno what danger I posed to the baby!

[StellaNova]

I've been the other way around - I was in a cafe with 6 month ish DS2 and some woman suddenly said to me "I'm not staring at your baby!!!!" I, bemmused, said "I don't mind if you were" to which she replied "WELL I WOULDN'T WANT TO ANYWAY".

I was quite upset as I thought I might have been doing loud parenting and she meant "you are trying to make me look at your baby", but then I realised she was just odd.

[cbeebiesatemybrain]

Don't feel bad, I bet she feels a right tit now!

I love it when strangers take an interest in my dcs, I know its because they are gorgeous

[MyLastDuchess]

Awwww this makes me feel so sad! I live in Amsterdam (don't know if that makes any difference) and people always smile and laugh at my DS (aged 2) when we're out on the street. Whether he's being cute or throwing a tantrum, he'll get attention and comments. AFAIK this is pretty normal here; when I'm out and about and a kid is doing something cute like babbling or toddling along, I'll ask how old s/he is, make some comment or smile at the mum/dad.

One thing I notice here is that people are much less scared of random strangers (esp. men) being around young children. Of course we also, unfortunately. have terrible child abuse cases and a major nursery abuse case here 2 years ago, but I think it's also much more common for fathers to be very involved with their young children (for example by working a 4-day week and spending the other day caring for the child) than it is in the UK.

But anyway YANBU, I think it's a real shame how that mother acted. Perhaps she was having a bad day. Personally I love it when I see people (it's usually older women) go into a bit of a reverie when they see my son, they look so happy and nostalgic and it reminds me to make the most of this stage as it won't last forever!