to think that people could at least be polite to my DS

[FunnysInLaJardin]

on holiday recently with 2yo DS2. He is a chatty little fellow and I was amazed by the number of people who just ignored him when he wandered over for a chat. Whenever a child speaks to me I will always respond, even if we don't speak the same language.

Makes me rather irritated that when he is being friendly he gets ignored. I suppose some people just don't like children.

They are probably fearful of you snatching him up and accusing them of something if they speak to him.. if many posts on here are to be believed...

They are being rude and unfriendly :(
Good for you for letting your kid chat to strangers in your company. Far too much paranoia out there.

Yup, what squeaky said.
There's a thread I'm on at the moment, where giving a small child any attention is tantamount to abuse.
Look it up.

true actually squeaky having just read the AIBU about some chick playing with a DS at a wedding. I love people interacting with my DC and feel very proud that they are so sociable

Some people are just grumpy, and don't like kids. My adorable precocious 4 year old was talking to people in the supermarket today, and some of them gave her the look as if she was an irritating fly they wanted to swat. I just called her away. They're obviously having a bad day. And maybe don't like kids.

I agree it doesn't take much to be polite, and would never ignore a child myself.

However, people are on holiday. They are relaxing. They may not want to engage with your child and that's fair enough too.
Your child is amazing to you, but not necessarily to random strangers who are just wanting to top up their tan and read their magazine. (in the nicest possible way.)

Hope you had a lovely holiday!

They are rude fuckers!

I always talk to and smile at random children, but reading MN I think that makes me a bit odd.

Why should people be forced to talk to your child? It doesn't mean they're grumpy . If I'm on holiday by the pool I'm normally relaxing and/or trying to read. If I'm in the supermarket I'm normally in a rush. On neither occasions would I want to have inane chatter with a random child who means nothing to me. I'd smile and say hello, yes, but just because you find your child adorable and cute it doesn't mean everyone else does.

I would never ignore a child, but nor would I engage them in lengthy conversation - a quick hello would be it. But I would not want to be bothered by other peopples kids in the supermarket. Some people just want to be left alone - nothing wrong with that.

I think the problem is sometimes children are difficult to discourage - I had this at the swimming pool the other day with a "Hiya!" toddler. I said hi back and smiled but I was innundated with "Wot yer doin?" every two minutes and it was a little much and if I'd been trying to chill I wouldn't have been thrilled ...

ya and yan bu, in my view! Xx

but glitter these weren't people on sun beds etc these were other parents around the toddler pool with their own small children. If he was disturbing folk who obv wanted to read etc I would politely discourage him. Oh and we did have a lovely holiday thanks

My DD (3) is a the same. So completely innocent that anyone is her friend even a passing fly. She loves to chat and gets so dreadfully hurt when people don't reciprocate. Many dont though.

I've put it down to they haven't a clue how to talk to children or rude shites.

A small child came up to me today and started chatting. I was in the middle of something completely awful... so forgive me if I didn't drop everything, put aside my woes and start smiling and laughing with him.

Note to people in GP waiting rooms: I do NOT want to talk to your child. I have one of my own to converse with, stop looking at me and grinning. Yes, he's cute but FGS I dno't care at the moment.

Faff you'd smile and say Hello. That's fine. These parents just blanked him. I don't want to have a long chat with someone else's 2yo but I would never blank them

I have perfected the art of politely not engaging in conversation with small children. DH hasn't. He has been known to be cornered for half an hour by a small child jibbering on about ponies. Once he was even made to join in with an action song. More fool him.

A lot of people don't want to be put in the awkward situation of having to interact with someone elses toddler. Lots of people are fine with it, lots aren't.

Stop it.

I think it just comes down to basic human courtesy. Even if you do have 1001 other things on your mind, blanking anyone is just rude

I always chat to children if they come and talk to me.
I'm an adult, and it's quite simple to end a conversation nicely and get back to what you're doing when you've had enough.
I'm a mum of a teen now though, so chatting to small kids is a rather nice novelty these days.

I don't think it's always rudeness - for some people it's genuinely not knowing how to respond.

I've never been around little children (small family, brother close in age) so never know how to reply to stranger's kids, I have no clue how to talk to them! I often silently smile, embarrassed, worried the child's parent is judging me.

Blanking anyone is just rude. Even babies sometimes just want a bit on eye contact. Being able to make a quick get away from any conversation is important though. The only person I have a problem with is one particular checkout person at Sainsbury's, who doesn't realise my one word answers mean I don't wish to converse while packing, thank you.

I do agree (and I'd have chatted back!), but on the other hand you do get some odd parents who then see that as a green light to let them then annoy you bless you with their company for the next 2 hours solid. Perhaps they were wary of that?

More often than not the child would be happy with a big smile and a friendly hello.

Three you talk to a child in the same way as you would an adult. If they say Hello, you say Hello back. You don't ignore them. And if the parent is judging you, more fool them