stranger giving my child money

[trackies]

Was at a toddler group with my 3 yo. There was a professional photographer there taking pics as approved by lady who runs it. They sit on a seat infront of a white screen. My child had a turn. My child is very chatty and friendly and likes posing for photos, and he found him easy to deal with. Bit later on my child, who likes attention and chatting to people, chatted to him for few mins, whilst i was there. Photographer was saying how lovely he was and he'd made his day, and then he gave him a gift of £2 and told him to buy some sweets with it. This freaked me out. I was a bit stunned. I tried to politely say that we can't take his money (i didn't want it!) but he insisted on me taking it. As i was leaving i tried to prize the £2 away from my child but he was clinging onto it so i left cos i just wanted to get out there! Got home and explained to small child that should not take gifts from strangers, but it wasn't his fault. I should have done something at the time. I was just caught off guard. Told my DH who said this man should have not been giving money to my child, and agreed that it's weird, but it could have been just someone being nice. But he was not happy. I told couple of Mummy friends who said it was weird aswell. DH said i definitely need to talk to the women who runs the group just to say that it made me uncomfortable and give the money back. Do you think it's weird ? or an act of kindness ? what would you do ?

I think it's just a kindness thing. I would do this sort of thing and not think much of it to be honest. I used to get given money for sweets from older people when I was little :)

Zombie 🧟‍♀️This thread is 6 years old!!! I’m sure OP doesn’t care anymore now her child is in juniors 😂

This happens all the time when my DD goes out with her grandad a lot of his friends would give her 50p or a pound and tell her to buy some sweets. I’ve had women give her a pound at bus stops and in supermarkets aswell. Quite common here but I’m from Northern Ireland dunno if where your from makes a difference?

The Africans in my area often give my DD a euro I think it’s a cultural thing it’s very sweet and kind of them

Ffs.grow up!!

Didn’t notice it wa a Zombie thread wooooo....has the kid made any more cash?

Yeah it's a old school thing. I used to come home with a load of coins as a child and I remember my oldest son looking amazed when he kept getting coins from older people when we'd come back to UK in the summer holidays.
I think it's quite a nice thing.

Whoops sorry Zombie alert

This is ridiculous, it isn't a north/Welsh/London/south/Scottish thing it's a NORMAL nice thing. Your child was pleasant, he wanted to praise that and gave him a token of money to get something with, how is that weird. What a world when a nice gesture is totally misconstrued. I would have been delighted and said "thank you, how lovely of you". Once a lady in a coffee shop paid for our drinks as the children had been so polite, it's not weird it's lovely. What a shame that you feel the need to make this into a nasty thing.

I tend to do that as well , didn’t even realised is a bad thing , where I come from is very usual, especially to small kids to get a sweetie or two . I must stop before I get reported 😂

Its common in few places iv lived. My Mums always popping sliver coins into prams

This happens a lot in Glasgow

Happens all the time where i live, most adults are nice and normal something OP needs to learn

I gave a little boy a pound. I was putting my trolly back and dropped the pound and it rolled under the trolleys. A boy with his dad ran and got it back for me. So I said you have keep it as a reward for being kind and helpful.

My Scottish MIL always used to give any kids she saw 'a penny' (actually usually a pound coin) for their piggy bank. When I lived in Scotland I had people put money in the babies pram.
Just an old custom - and quite nice actually.

How sad you and your husband thought horrible things just because someone was being kind to your DC. Lots of folk pop coins into prams or little hands 'for their money box' or to 'buy sweeties'. It's a nice thing to do!

When mine were little they often get given a pound to buy sweets. It was always older people. I would say thank you and get on. It's a generational thing.

ZOMBIE THREAD

The OP’s child is 9 now.

Happened to us. Meant to be good luck. Usually 50p. I thank the giver and put in dd pig. Its rude not to. Your reaction was ott.

OTT and six years ago, @londonrach.

Its a northern thing I think, it's very usual to give a child money to buy some sweets. Its a nice thing

The opposite happened to me the other day. 3 kids saw me parked up and asked if they could "borrow" 50 cents. I laughed at them and said oh and when do I get it back ?? That threw them completely.:) They just wanted some lollies to buy and I found it innocent and found a coin and they went on their way to the shop.Kids just being kids. I never thought a thing about it at all but after telling my partner I now feel like a dirty old creep. Times sure have changed. Even though it sounds weird on reflection of it nothing gets taken for face value anymore and there has to be a "reason" for it. Im a softie. Maybe I'm too old in the tooth.

I'm Irish and it's definitely a thing here. And judging from the number of other areas that have claimed it I think it's a thing everywhere and you missed out growing up @trackies !

Times sure have changed

The OPs child is now 15 so I guess times have changed...how do people even resurrect threads from 11 years ago?!

Christ on a bike!

£2 in plain sight with your knowledge because he made his day.

It didn’t happen down the park by an dodgy and your kid came home to tell you.

Context people, context!