To think that some mums need to stop being so precious?

[LessonsinL]

I love young children and babies. I think they're adorable, and also think it's important for children to engage with adults in a social environment. Don't worry, I don't go round picking up young children and forcing chocolate into their hands, but if they're on the bus, I smile or wave if they look my way or appear interested. The look on the mum's faces when I do this usually very cats bum, like I'm going to steal the child..

Honestly, we're not all paedos and child snatchers! Who's with me?!

Not a man.

:D at Zillah's link!

YANBU but I haven't experienced much in the way of dirty looks etc. when interacting with other children - perhaps because DS (3.4) is usually the one who starts it...

My dad's dead now but when he was alive he loved talking to children in queues etc, showed them the trick where you take your thumb off and things like that. He had a natural rapport with children, who always loved him. My mum used to tell him off for talking to strangers' children, particularly if they were alone, and say "you can't do that these days." One day he even gave a couple of kids eating in pizza hut, who'd been dropped off there by their mum, a few pound coins so they could both get a pudding as he'd heard them discussing how they only had enough money for the little brother to have one. He did that as he was leaving so he had no sinister motive or evil intent, he was just very generous and loved kids. Because of him if/when I have kids I will try to assume that adults who speak to them are just doing so out of kindness. It's sad that our society is so paranoid about adults these days. A few sickos have ruined it for everyone else.

My ds says hi to everyone and has done since he was about 18 months. He went through a phase (long) of shouting "grumpy that man" or "grumpy that lady" at anyone who ignored him. It was embarrassing but I think he had a point. I have to say the grumps were in the vast majority.

I don't ignore people waving at/talking to at my kids but if I don't interact massively it's because I sort of think, you're talking to my child, and they're talking back - who am I to butt into your conversation? :)

OP, I was just saying the same to DH over the weekend.

I often smile at children and say hello to babies (no touching, looming or space invading, just a smile and a greeting). I especially do it when DS (2) is with me as he is going to have a sibling soon so there is a lot of baby indoctrination going on.

I'm always surprised at how unfriendly so many of the parents are. Not just uninterested, which would be fine, but quietly hostile. Why? I go nowhere near the child. I am not odd, or strange looking. I don't see why a polite smile or nod would be so hard, but apparently from some people it is.

Love it paddy, I wonder if it would be wrong to teach Ds to do that!

I always smile at babies (especially in supermarkets) and get big grins and giggles back. What always surprises me is how often tired and distracted parents don't notice that their baby is deep in "conversation" with some complete stranger (just to be clear, I have little doubt that my own DC were probably doing the same while I was sleepwalking around the supermarket).

OTOH when my DD is being a little monster a tad challenging I do feel like growling at people who say how "sweet" and "good" she is when she knows damn well she is being neither of those things at that precise moment.

I'm with you :)

My 22mo says hello to everyone, I mean everyone. I can't stop him. Majority are lovely and smile right back, and say hello - and I smile at them too. He's just too adorable and I can honestly say I have never seen anyone not smile or be horrid to him.

Please don't stop.......:)

Thanks everyone, I shall continue to grin at tiny children and to hell with the consequences :D

YANBU, I love it when people talk to mine, well normally I do, at the moment I cringe as ds2 is going through a stage of calling everyone 'stupid' so it is usually rather embarassing. He is 2.10 years so hopefully he will grow out of it soon! If he is in the right mood he will randomly speak to people anyway.

You know when little children wave from the back of the car in front? I always wave back and if the driver notices, quite often they wave too!

This face you mean

here

Yes I've seen mums on the bus looking like that all the time!

YANBU

I wish people would interact MORE with my children. Maybe it's to do with where I live (London suburbs) but I find people generally unfriendly and hardly anyone talks or smiles at you!

In my experience, it can go either way.

There are the cat's bum face women.

There are the normal, smile politely, women,

Then there are the people who see you as someone who'll provide free childcare if you interact.

E.g.On holiday last year I smiled at some young children and talked to a 4 year old for a while. The next day I heard the mother of the 4yo say - listen, I'm trying to relax, why don't you go bother that lady over there again.

Also, at a bus stop, I'd interacted with an approx 8 month old baby - his mother didn't speak English but was very smiley. Next thing I knew, I was handed the baby while she disappeared off for 30mins! I just stood there, waiting and she returned with some shopping.

I think on the whole people are afraid to talk to children these days incase they get accused of being wierdos or pervs. It really is sad, I HATE it when my DS says hi to peole and gets totally ignored

sims2fan your dad sounded lovely :)

As parent of 2 year old who goes on buses/trains a lot, I love it when other people entertain my child and give me a break! I probably just look gormlessly tired at them though.

I try to wave at babies and make silly faces at crying kids to distract them - interestingly it's only in very posh areas where I get catsbum faces - never get it near home. Maybe some mothers think I'd be a bad influence?

I've never had that happen to me and I am always cooing at babies.

I start with a smile. I catch the adult's eye, smile and say "Oh, s/he's adorable, I remember when mine were that age." they smile, say thanks, look proud. I then talk to the baby, waggle fingers, shake keys and never get anything but smiles and a proud parent happy to be told how adorable their baby is.

I'm not quite sure where you're going wrong, tbh. Do you look like this?

I remeber walking down a road with my 2yr DS who was playing up big time and I looked <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=www.acclaimimages.com/_gallery/_images_n300/0521-1005-0914-1239_black_and_white_angry_woman_with_a_rolling_pin.jpg&imgrefurl=www.acclaimimages.com/_gallery/_pages/0521-1005-0914-1239.html&usg=__VTK3lpHq5QVSIp7dvpqsf0rrZOs=&h=300&w=297&sz=25&hl=en&start=205&zoom=1&tbnid=-ln_2dhsM6PvTM:&tbnh=146&tbnw=145&ei=gFq4TZfxNc6WhQe3-e2UDw&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dangry%2Bwoman%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-gb:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7ACAW_enGB332GB332%26biw%3D1345%26bih%3D618%26tbm%3Disch0%2C4695&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=127&vpy=238&dur=4976&hovh=226&hovw=223&tx=164&ty=189&page=10&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:16,s:205&biw=1345&bih=618" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">like this. A Lady stopped us and chatted to us both. Was there only a few mins, but when we headed on, we where both so much happier. She had calmed us down and completly changed our moods by simply being friendly. Will NEVER forget that lovely lady! [cgrin]

Pompoko - Your link is coming up as a virus!

hows that work?? the link is fine for me

I don't like conversation with strangers particularly, as bus time is the nearest I get to personal space, but I always smile. I love it when people chat to hi
Or comment on him (or her- he's forever being mistaken for a girl but I just smile on!).

I used to get elderly ladies stop us in the street or in a queue and put a 20p or 50p in each of my DS's hands. I think it was a sort of good luck tradition to 'cross the babies palm with silver' or something?

Anyone else heard of this? I thought it was great except they often thought DS1 was a little girl

I usually smile or go cross-eyed at babies, or stick out my tongue. I tend to get mixed reactions from the person with the baby.

When mine were younger i don't think i really noticed much if someone was smiling at my baby, I have never intentionally glared but my face looks like a cats bum naturally

I always interact with babies and do my patented trick of sticking out my tongue with it folded in three places (yes, I could have been on That's Life in another era).

However, many was the person who regretted interacting with my DD, who as a baby/toddler used to do this terrible thing of smiling, cooing and reaching her arms out to adoring strangers (usually old people) in various doctor's waiting rooms etc., then the minute the deluded stranger was suckered in and reached out their arms for a cuddle with her, DD would completely change her mind and howl in outrage while doing her own very special cat's bum face. If she actually met someone she knew while we were out, she often simply projectile vomited at them - our health visitor had this happen to her on three separate occasions in the town centre. It was more embarrassing than I can even begin to tell you to watch the poor HV sploshing away, dripping in baby puke, with DD glowering at her retreating back