Why do people think this is ok?

[Brightsky123]

I was in the playground with my 20 month old, I put her in the swing and left my pushchair about 2m away. Small toddler comes to the pram, followed by her mum and dad. She takes an interest in the pram and slowly starts looking through it, the basket, my shopping bag, the book attached to the pram etc.

Mum and dad keep encouraging her: ‘oh, are you stealing from the pram?’ Keep laughing. ‘Have you found something for lunch?’ ‘What are we having?’ Toddler starts taking out stuff from the shopping bag (avocados, blueberries etc). I was perplexed. No once they thought it’s not ok or said sorry to me. All 3 of them surrounded the pram and ‘explored’ it for about 10 mins. I just didn’t know how to react.

Am I from a different planet thinking it’s not ok to go through people’s belongings without their approval? I’m not blaming the child at all, but the 2 adults supervising her. Both middle-class, well spoken people.

It's not something I could get worked up about if I tried,I'd have ended up laughing and chatting to them probably.

I would have moved my pram away from the baby and next to me.

I don't think that is acceptable behaviour. I mean of course kids are curious but as the adults they shouldn't be encouraging her to do that 🤨

“Leave my things alone!”

Or

“Step off.”

No way would I have stood there and let some random child manhandle my personal properly whilst the gormless parents stood there chuckling.

I understand you might be shy but even so, you could have just pulled the pram a bit nearer and glared.

no that's not OK. That's so weird, I can't believe they just let the little girl carry on rifling through your stuff 😂

Both middle-class, well spoken people

They're usually the worst for this type of thing. Most working class parents would have stopped this before it started.

I jest sort of

WTAF that’s really weird. I’ve been to loads of parks and never seen anyone do that. I’m equally as baffled that you let them go through your stuff for 10 minutes

That is not ok! I would never let my daughter go into someone's bag!

no that's not OK. That's so weird, I can't believe they just let the little girl carry on rifling through your stuff
It was extremely rude of them. I would have given them a sharp word, once I got past my astonishment that anyone thinks this is ok.

You just stood there and let this happen? For ten minutes?

I must live on a different planet...

I know, really weird. I’m quite shy so I just didn’t know how to react. I just stood there thinking they’ll leave but they really took their time.

'Hey nosey, stop looking through my stuff'
OR
'Oh good, I was just wondering if remembered to buy condoms and whipped cream, maybe you can have her check for me'.

Bizarre. “Please don’t play with my pram, it’s not a toy” then move it away from them.

Not acceptable, unfortunately there are lots of parents that think whatever their little darlings do is adorable and funny

Why didn't you say something! You let three strangers go through your things for ten minutes, really!

Bizarre...I'm always at the play park and have never had anything remotely similar. Not sure if it's relevant but we live in 'rough' area.

Love TeaForTheWin comment! 🤣.
Very bizarre behaviour. If it was my child I would of steered her away and apologised. She's 15 now though so probably would be stealing your food!
Joking obviously 😏

Why didn't you say something! You let three strangers go through your things for ten minutes, really!
Honestly OP - really! You need to try and a little more assertive. You didn't even have to say anything - just get up and reclaim your stuff!

Life gets harder than this so you will need to woman up! If you can give birth you can surely do this!

Thanks everyone. At least everyone agrees it’s bizarre. Never happened to me before either, hence my reaction. Next time I won’t be keeping my mouth shut for sure.

I think if the toddler came there by herself and had a little play with the pram I’d have been fine with it, it’s just the 2 adults that kept laughing and encouraging her that got my blood boiling.

We live in a very mixed area, not sure it has any relevance.

Id say something like, "nice behaviour you are teaching your child"...middle classes always recoil in horror at being confronted.

My toddler is always keen to go look at other peoples stuff, its a very definite "noooo, not yours"....even when we go for our walks and she goes onto people's drive ways and im quick to pick her up, bring her back and remind her about "tresspassing"

This happens to us on a beach in Spain this year. Mum actively encouraging toddler to go and get other children's beach toys and going in bags for them. Whilst she grinned on happily.

We decided she was just enamoured by her dc or thought it was an easy way to keep him entertained so laughed it off but that poor kid when he gets to school!

It is odd behaviour. But probably not the oddest thing you'll see in your lifetime unfortunately!

Tell 'em grandad's morphine prescription is in there so leave alone. My late Dad was prescribed morphine as a painkiller.

Mixed area? That got nothing to do with it! It’s overstepping the boundaries of personal belongings. You don’t have to be rude back, just say ‘excuse me please leave the pram alone’. They’d probably say ‘oh she’s just playing’, then you say, ‘it’s not a toy’. And keep looking at them until they move away.

@Pipandmum is exactly right

I was going to say you should have told them your crack pipe was under the pram