To think that calling a tiny baby a 'sexy beast' is a bit odd?

[Catsize]

Just that really. Was in a shop getting passport photo done and the lady behind me in the queue was talking to her baby, who was perhaps 4wks old or so.
She started off by affectionately calling him 'fatty' repeatedly, before getting him from his pushchair and making remarks like 'oooh, you are such a sexy little thing', 'ooooh, we are going to get your photo done because you are such a sexy little beast, aren't you?'. Apart from the obvious, that the child was neither fat nor sexy, I cannot articulate why this made me feel so uncomfortable, and I just found the whole thing a little odd. Is it me?...

Creepy

I cannot abide it when people refer to children as 'sexy', it makes my skin crawl. YADNBU.

All my babies have been little fatties but not sexy.

I've heard it a lot though...mostly from mothers younger than me so maybe the general meaning has changed?

When I got my dog, the previous owner saw him a few weeks later (next door neighbour's niece), gave him a great big cuddle and declared "Oooh you're still my sexy little boy"

It is an odd turn of phrase. It does make me feel a bit odd when I hear people refer to their children as sexy. Children are cute, beautiful, handsome, pretty... but not sexy. YANBU

Ew. YANBU.

Yanbu. Some people are bizarre.

Thank you folks. She was quite a bit younger than me, 'tis true. Worrying re:dog too worra!

Babies and children are innocent.

She is a dimwit - as are people who dress their children in inappropriate slogan clothing.

Erm what the actual fuck has being a young mum got to do with speaking to a child innapropriatley?

YANBU.

It wouldn't even enter my head to describe DS as 'sexy'... that's just plain weird.

It's odd, yes, but as PP has said, maybe it's that the meaning has changed somewhat. I've heard people refer to cars, food, music, e.t.c. as 'sexy' too. I highly, highly doubt she meant it in the inappropriate way...

Yes worry I think you're right. I've heard this too and actually it was from a younger mother so maybe that's the language now. But still creepy though.

Yanbu a baby is not sexy

it was quite normal in my parents circle when i was growing up to refer to children as sexy, if they were running round nude or something they would get called 'oooh sexy girl/boy, i can see your boobies/bum bum' etc It was also completely normal to ask very small children if other children of the opposite sex were their boyfriends/girlfriends. At the time i never found it odd, and it was never said in a lechy way.

However, now i find the early sexualisation of children disturbing, and all of these little things add to that. I do dislike it when my parents say it to DS. But i know it's just a turn of phrase and meant to be cheeky rather than creepy - even so i clench everything and smile thinly at mum, then quickly change the subject when she says it.

That's odd - All my experience is of older people saying it. I thought the current obsession with peedos would put younger people off saying it.

That is disgusting! I'm afraid I would have had to say something and backed away quickly. I would have found it very upsetting when my daughter was that age. I can't bear when people refer to their baby's as 'fit' either, makes me want to vomit!

I wouldn't imagine, when the young woman mentioned in the OP said it, that paedophiles even entered her head.

Very weird and inappropriate! I also hate it when men say things like 'call me daddy'. Justin Timberlake sings it on one of his recent songs re having sex. To me, children / parents / sexy = incompatible!

YANBU my DM was told the first time he said this about my dc to not say it again. Ditto for when DD was a few months old and loved sucking her dummy/toys etc "She'll make a man very happy one day!" Ew.

Yanbu.

People who describw young children as "sexy" are immediately put on my "totally thick" list, never to be removed.

She sounds like a complete thicko.

I get really annoyed with my SIL saying that to her kids. and whitwooing at them! It's disgusting do they not hear themselves?

It makes my skin crawl but people look at you like you've grown two heads when you say "that's inappropriate"

Where I am from, it is common practice to call your child "sexy lil man" or "sexy lil princess".

It makes me gag.

Does sound like she was just thick!

Also calling your baby fatty? Nice - she will probably carry on making dim witted comments to the poor baby as he/she grows up and give them a complex..

Thick as fook!