Old lady keeps approaching my toddler, making me feel uncomfortable

I don't think you can really compare the 2 😮

Gosh. That's sad.

Old lady 🤣 Women of this age are a huge portion of Mumsnet demographics 🤣🤣🤣

Goodness the world has gone mad. An "old" lady being friendly, lets equate it to assault. What happened to, "it takes a village to raise a child". Also why the reference to her age Op?, implying some loss of faculties.

On a personal note 60 isn't "old", Opp I'm early 60's, I willing to bet good hard cash that I have a higher IQ than you AND that I can run a marathon faster than you.

I dare say things younger mums think are alright today, tomorrows mums will consider completely wrong or inappropriate.
The thread of tomorrow will be berating a mum of today who has done something completely innocent but viewed as bad.

Agreed. And so many people feeling 'uncomfortable' about very ordinary things.

Unlikely, yes, but at the end of the day it is the OP's child and if she feels uncomfortable, she should honour that. She doesn't owe some random old woman kindness.

I get the not touching bit but otherwise this is a bit OTT.
I knew someone who didn't like strangers looking at her baby, she had anxiety that was through the roof but she did get help with that and calmed down quite a lot as a result.

Oh for God's sake, just use your words! If you don't want her touching your son, say so!

You’ve got a cute baby who smilesand grins at people. Maybe he does a special smile and grin at this lady. If you’re getting this worked up about what’s happening now, you’re gonna find life hell when he’s running in parks and nurseries

It's so patronising that everyone is presuming she's lonely.

I thought that this place was against the whole 'be kind' mandate!?

Working on probabilities and percentages it is extremely unlikely. But even so, unless the "old lady" is single handedly going to knock the OP unconscious and snatch her child away, then how is she going to assault the toddler? Admittedly this could all be a cunning ruse and the old lady could be a decoy for a lurking vehicle (or something equally sinister) but really if we're going to think like that then we'd never go out at all.

Aye, let's live in a world like that, eh? Blank lonely, old women who only want to say hello and have their day brightened by seeing a lovely, wee baby. The world's becoming a poorer place by the day...

I know. Old lady but only in her 60s lol

My daughter recently had a baby and old ladies coo over him, stroke his cheek and put money in his hand. She’s not bothered. It’s not going to harm him and it gives the old ladies a bit of happiness. It’s a sad world we live in now.

Yes it would be, but it’s an old lady. Is she dirty? Is she scary? Is she malevolent?

How many strangers are going to touch your child?

You’re upset she is touching your child. She is an old lady that has most probably has not had contact with a child for a long time. Your child is not an object to be touched, agree but this old lady will cause him no harm.

I take me DGS to Tesco, and the old ladies
love to see him. No they don’t touch him but if one did I wouldn’t get upset.

Let’s not pass our anxieties onto our young children.

I am 72. I will often smile and say "hello!" or wave at babies/toddlers if they look at me when out and about (you know how they can stare at people!), the parents smile and seem pleased at the tiny interaction. I would never ever try to touch them in any way, however.

Good God, really. Does it hurt to just show some kindness? People saying its not your problem if shes lonely, no it's not but surely a short chat, a smile, while maintaining the boundary of asking not to touch the baby is not too much to ask. That small interaction probably makes her day. Sure its not the OPs responsibility to make the lady happy but a little bit of kindness and understanding dosent take much.

Yes, she is a stranger!

I don't see how that's relevant to a person approaching the child in broad daylight. We're not talking about a daycare situation here.

Surprised that needed to be highlighted.

Even still, a stranger approaching a child should be viewed with caution IMO. Just because more men assault kids doesn't mean no women do.

Same. I wonder how old she is? Your title says "old lady" then you go on to say 60s early 70s.
I say this because I remember when I had my first baby and as I was pushing the pram, the lady up the road came over and put a coin in the babies hand. I presumed it was some kind of tradition. Anyway she can't have been as old as I first thought because she moved house and still writes to me 30 years later.
Imagine me posting on MN that an old lady touched my baby and put a dangerous choking risk in his hand.

Yes the answers would be very different as men assault women and children at a higher rate compared to women.