This mum just blocked my toddler from approaching hers

On behalf of the neurodiverse we don't owe nosy people an explanation of asserting boundaries politely.

I hate the term educate yourself but op really needs to apply it here.

Much better said than my previous post.

It does sound unusual. Must be something going on. Perhaps her child has an allergy, low immune system or something which makes her keen to avoid your toddler too close. Maybe she has some sort of germ phobia or an ill grandparent.

You will never know, I wouldn't be bothered though, each to their own.

Other people's DC can be irritating. Maybe she just found him irritating

Well, if the child had followed me around the shop I would have wondered where their parents were.
But if they just approached mine and showed them their toy? I honestly wouldn’t have had an issue with that. If I‘d been in a hurry, I‘d smile briefly (yes, yes, I know, nobody owes others smiles) and said we had to go.

Perhaps her child is a hitter and she was trying to protect your child. You just don't know!

She doesn’t know you. Why would she want an interaction?

I know! It’s a little 3 year old excited to show their toy to a toddler! I mean…. If we’re lost empathy, understanding and dare I say JOY for that, we might as well self destruct! Are we that dead inside, are we that ‘functional’ are we that destroyed that we can’t see the joy of that… are we that’ in a hurry’? I totally agree with you!

I wouldn't give it a second's thought OP.

She knows her own toddler and probably knew he was going to kick off and want your kid's toys.

All sounds very dramatic - ‘swooped him up’.

She was just getting on with her life. She doesn’t have to make her shopping trip into a teaching moment for your son.

And aren’t most 3yo’s out of prams all the time?

Don’t waste any more headspace on this

I wouldn't mind it as much at soft play or the playground because they are more appropriate settings but in a shop? I'm likely busy, possibily in a rush and frankly have no interest in other people's children.

"personal space" is just a description. I have no interest in dealing with small children in shops or anywhere else. I have my own, I don't need extras.

I wish their parents could actually parent, and realise not everyone has to be interested in their little darlings.

Maybe her son is a biter or hits other children and she was avoiding this. You don't know her reasons.

It's no less annoying just because it's a 3yo and not a middle aged man.

It’s usually men in raincoats that do that!

I think YABU OP. As others have said, you don't know what prompted her to do that, and also you don't know what she had going on today! There's a whole range of possibilities and I wouldn't really be giving it a second thought tbh! "oh sorry, come on Johnny" and move on!

A department store is not a playground. She didn’t owe your son any engagement.

Yes, it’s odd how some people go on about their personal space because a small child approached another one in a shop 😵‍💫
I might feel that way if an adult followed me around the shop trying to strike up a conversation, but a small child?

She did not remove him at all. She didn't touch him. She enforced hers and hers child's personal space to deter your child. It worked

It depends on the reason why though.

I'm sure OP would also be on here complaining if the other child bit/hit/pushed her child.

No one knows why she stopped OP's DC.

Agree with this.

So many reasons she could have done this and they've all been mentioned.

Why are you so bothered, OP? Was it offensive to you that a stranger didn't fawn over your DC? Not everyone finds strangers' children cute.

When I'm out on a very rare shopping trip with my GD I have neither time nor inclination to strike up a conversation with other adults. Nor do I want to have the hassle of trying to pry another child's toy from her hands.

I'm also dealing with a disease that could see me affected badly by everyday illnesses (hence the rare trips).

My point is you have no idea why. Let it go and as Morechocmorechoc says, consider a safety aspect, too. You only need to get distracted for a moment to see a child get lost. It's extremely unlikely that a stranger could work in a team to distract a parent and then abduct but not unknown.

The mum was likely busy and didn't want the hassle of an interaction with her own child. She nipped it at the bud. Your over reaction of 'swooping him up' has programmed him for drama. I doubt he was 'sad'. Most likely a bit disappointed but he had a new toy to look forward too. I'd imagine you let this ruin his day.
The mum wasn't nasty and she didn't touch your child. Would you have preferred her to say Shooo, or Go Away or maybe waited till your child and hers were in conversation and yanked him away.
You think your kid's adorable. He's just another random person to others most of the time. I hope you don't have dog too and tell passers by He won't hurt you. It's just the same.

Stop overthinking it.

No, just a smallish town 🤷‍♀️

This I had a biter. Sometimes just easier not to allow interaction if I knew DS was tired/ hungry/ grumpy.