to let my toddler play near stinging nettles?

[ikeaismylocal]

I encountered my first snotty comment about my patenting today.

We were at a petting farm, 16 month old ds was looking at the sheep, along the bottom of the fence were some very small ( not higher than his wellies) stinging nettles. Ds was walking up and down the fence chatting to the sheep.

I had told ds that the nettles would make an "ouch" ds pointed his finger at them and said "ouch ouch" so I knew he understood.

We live in Sweden but I'm English, I was sitting watching ds chat to the sheep. A lady came over and spoke to me very loudly and slowly ( I assume she had heard us speaking English and assumed I couldn't understand Swedish very well) the conversation went like this

Lady ( very slowly) "THOSE ARE VERY DANGEROUS!!! HE SHOULDN'T BE NEAR THEM!"

Me ( in Swedish) "I think he'll be fine, I've explained they might hurt him if he touches them and he's busy chatting to the sheep at the moment anyway"

Lady "THEY BURN!! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU DON'T HAVE THEM IN YOUR COUNTRY"

Me "oh we do, I think he is unlikely to touch them but even if he does he'll be ok"

Lady "YOU TOUCH THEM!"

Me "no thanks"

The lady then stormed off.

I grew up in the country and stinging nettles were just part of everyday life.

Aibu to think that ds wasn't in a dangerous situation or have I lost track of what is an acceptable risk?

unfortunately the world will not be de-nettled for your child, so like all other dangers you need to educate and supervise....

...which is exactly what you were doing!

ignore. Other woman bonkers.

Dock leaves definitely are recognised as a sting cure here, and it works as well.

YADNBU! Yes, it would be a bit painful, but hardly dangerous! This is half the problem with kids today; they are so mollycoddled they don't understand danger or common sense.

Stinging nettles are a perfect thing for children to learn about the hard way without any lasting damage - usually the sting is forgotten about within minutes. And regardless of actual physical effect of dock leaves, they make for a fantastic placebo! Mine always quieten down within seconds of applying a dockleaf. Who needs homoeopathy for placebos?

Letting them get on with it with a warning is a great way to teach them to keep an eye open for dangers when they get stung!

She sounds like a loon. Falling into a bed of nettles is an (uncomfortable but inevitable) childhood rite of passage.

They're just sweeds.

(Sorry )