stranger giving my child money

I do think it's not that awful for someone to give a child a coin. Dd had a fair old collection under her mattress in her pram as a newborn. I also used to go see the old lady who lived opposite my gran precisely because I knew she would give me 50p when I was about 8.

BUT

Look at how some people react to it. People get scared these days - of course they do - put on the news. Whether this is right or not I don't know

AND

This guy is a professional photographer who often works with children. Surely he should think about whether there is the tiniest chance he will come across as creepy.

The OP makes me incredibly sad tha this is what we have become.

And your all wrong. It's a cheshire/north Wales border thing.

Its a shame that the op cant see an act of kindness for what it is and thought that there was a sinister reason behind the gesture. The current news items on child abuse has put all parents on a high state of alert.

Its also an Asian thing aswell :-) I still get a fiver from my 75 year old uncle when I see him! He tells me to buy sweets for the kids and myself but doesnt include dh!

Money to me is not a thing to give a small child.

But it was. My Nana had a bracelet, of a child's size made from silver sixpences, the old ones, about 1cm across, it was made up from the money given to her as a baby and in those days did contain silver and could be used if the child needed a tooth out.

I occasionally give money to a child, but I do always ask the parent first.

First 3 Dc born in the Black Country. Each of them used to come home from a potter round the markets with a pram full of cash from elderly well wishers. Dc 4 was born in London and the man In the Local PO gave him 40 quid to start his savings when we went in to post a letter when he was a few days old, as well as the odd stranger pressing a pound in his hand (I was always terrified he would try eat it)

Dc 5 born in Australia is either not as cute or Aussies dont do it :D

I used to get all sorts from strangers and shopkeepers as a precocious little v chatty child. Ice creams, toys, coins, fruit, comics, pens, sweets.
DD is shy so we haven't had it so much, only a few coins for being beautiful.

Chatty children get most of the free stuff I surmise.

It's a chatty thing.

It's a global old/young/male/female/relatives/friends/strangers thing.

Nothing to worry about, unless he followed you home.

Poor bloke.

When DS was born I lost count of the amount of strangers that put money in his pram, one man put a £20 note in it. Even now he still gets given coins for sweets and he's 6, I'm always with him and have never thought anything sinister in it, what a shame that you and your husband have thought so badly of a nice gesture.

And YY to a coin in a purse. I remember one birthday where my mums sister gave me a cheap purse with a penny in it and my mum muttered "tight cow" before I knew what being tight meant :o All I knew was that grandma always put 50p in bags or purses she gave us, must have cost her a fortune!

My irish family have always pressed pound coins into my childrens hands when they were babies because it brings luck for a wealthy life. Other non irish elderly relatives do it too. I dont think it means anything that this man did it, when you were there and in front of other parents.

I think you are over reacting tbh.

In Scotland a new baby often ends up with pound coins placed in their pram, it's traditional.

And then there are the little friendships you strike up in passing, your child chats to an old lady and when you are done she gives them a pound for sweeties.

I've never felt uncomfortable about it.

We used to make out like bandits growing up in Dublin. You always give kids money for sweets at family events etc.

It's also an Australian thing! DS1 & 2 (probably because of their accent) get given money. They think it is great!

An elderly lady still gives my mum a pound or two to buy me some chocolate! I think it's a nice thing, it's nice to spread happiness around, lovely your child was chatty and a nice gesture from him.

I thought this was an Irish tradition I know my mother would do it, as for me, I am too tight or broke...
Your little fellow sounds like a dote .. Another Irishism. He sounds lovely, and I would not see anything strange about what happened. It was well meant and please take it that way.

My DD has made a fortune in coins from strangers over the years. Two of our neighbours (one old English lady and and an old-ish Jamaican man, if that helps in the argument about the origins ) still give her a pound at least once a week and she's nearly 8 now! Her best ever result was from a waiter in Spain who gave her 10 euro because she told him it was nearly her birthday and he thought she was rather charming.

When I was little I used to love going to mass with my nana on a Sunday because I knew I'd come home with lots of money from all the old (mostly Irish catholic) women at church.

The guy who gave the money is dumb, like a three year old knows how currency works? He's not right I don't want to accuse him off anything but giving kids money is never a good thing.

Haven't read the whole thread but think you're really overreacting tbh. Maybe he just thought it was a nice thing to do......

A lady at church insisted baby DS must take £5 from her saying it was a Caribbean thing.

An old chap who DH nods to in the market and occasionally passes the time of day with pressed £20 on us for DS. We tried to refuse (especially as the gentleman is quite skint), but he insisted. So it could also be a Fenland thing.

I remember getting money from 'strangers' and now people give money to DS.
When he was teeny some people used to drop it in his pram!
A bit , but sweet of them.
Lighten up, they're being nice!

When my son was 1, he was beaming at an old Eastern European lady whilst sat in the trolley at a supermarket. Her eyes filled up and she put a pound in his hand for a bit of luck and for something nice. I thought it was lovely.

It happened once or twice when my DS was younger. Its an act of kindness generally, sometimes a child reminds people of their own children or grandchildren and they want to "give the child something". I suspect from the comment one lady made that its a "lucky" thing to do in some people eyes. He was given a pound coin "for luck" by a Caterer at a festival who thought he looked cute.

My gran was fond of buying cakes / cups of tea/ even lunch for people who reminded her of her grandchildren. She didn't see that much of us once we were grown up and she missed our company. So she would be nice to other people grandchildren that she bumped into at village coffee mornings.

I do freelance pottering-about-style work in the west of Ireland. My 4-year-old, who often trails along, makes a nice living on the side, and blows it all on smoothies.