To think it's ok to speak to children and for them to reply?

[katkouta]

Was in Boots today looking at things and there was a little girl behind me in a buggy with her Mum who was also browsing the same aisle, she looked to be about 4 and was happily singing her alphabet. When she had finished I told her how lovely her singing was and she was very clever at remembering it all..She scowled at me and told me I was naughty! Her Mum told me it's because I was a stranger ! As they walked off the mother told her daughter not to be rude, instead just not to answer!!
I'm all for explaining the dangers of strangers to children, but I found this a bit OTT.
What do you think?

What a rude and weird Mum, her daughter will grow up with no social skills whatsoever and probably be terrified of anyone she doesn't know.

My ds is 6 and is a very friendly little chap, I understand that we need to teach our children to be careful but I think shouting, argh stranger danger !!! at our children will give them a very warped view of the world.

I agree with activate.

My daughter is 6 and has just started doing sporting activities where she remains while I go off (football and recently gymnastics as I have the boys with me and need to bring them off somewhere as they're too wild to wait there with)

I don't do stranger danger.... at her age I think it's far more important that she is told to stay where I left her, wait for me even if I'm late and never move from where I'm supposed to be collecting her, even if someone tells her too.

We touched on the talking to strangers thing a few years back as she was selectively mute and wouldn't talk to anyone other than direct family (including playschool workers, she barely said 10 words the whole 2 years she was there) so we had lots of talks about it being ok to talk to someone if Mommy or Daddy are there or it's someone she knows.

Even when I was a child we were never told not to talk to strangers... just not to go anywhere with a stranger, stand well back from people we didn't know and never take anything from a stranger unless a parent was there to say it was ok.

While its good to be aware of your environment and the people in it, the mother is scaremongering a bit, what 4 year old is going to be out on their own, usually they are with their parents! This child I feel will grow up to be one scared little girl and rude too.

I don't think she'll be scared when she grows up. She might be an spoilt little brat though with the opinion that it's naughty for anyone to dare talk to her.

It is overkill to give the sort of message that she speaks to no one even when mum is with her.

Statistically you are more likely to win the lottery than have your child abducted.

@A1980 You did exactly the right thing. Of course, you were taking a bit of a risk...

...thhhaaaaatt the parents were going to be assholes.

But people like that shouldn't set the standards - civic-minded people like you (and, I hope, me) should.