To think This is unsafe parenting?

[LondonLady29]

On the tube. A toddler approx 18 months at a guess is in a pushchair with his mum stood behind him. The toddler is sucking and chewing on a plastic bottle lid. I immediately thought that he could choke on it. The mum doesn't seem to notice/ care. I wondered if she had realised what he was doing. Toddler then drops lid on the tube floor and it bounces over to my feet. I thought "Well it's a plastic bottle lid and now it's been on the floor of a tube carriage where millions of people and some dogs walk everyday she won't want it now." Also as a toddler had been chewing on it I felt no inclination to pick it up or touch it. A woman next to me bent down and picked it up and handed it straight back to the mum who gave me a dirty look as I had not picked it up, then (there was not even so much as a wipe not that that would help) gave it back to the toddler to suck/ chew. This happened twice in three or four minutes whilst I was standing there. AIBU to think this is slack/ careless/ dangerous parenting? Surely not safe for a young child to suck a bottle lid especially when on and off the tube floor? AIBU not to have been retrieving the lid for the child?

undoubtedly are you saying that unless you'd read it on mumsnet you'd have no idea that grapes and the like were choking hazards!? This seems like subnormal laxity, its not society's job make you risk aware, you have to use your own imagination and common sense.

That's gross OP and I would have felt the same as you. However, its almost a law on MN that you must never ever form any opinion about anything that another parent does with their child. Ever. It's none of your business and you're a judgemental cow if you do

Some parents just want their child to be kept quiet at all costs, with a filthy bottle lid if necessary apparently!

Was it a water bottle sized lid or an Oasis bottle sized lid? I'd let DS chew on the latter- there's no way he could choke on that.

Sorry, but you are wrong. Anything that's small enough to fit down a standard toilet roll inner is a choking hazard for a small child.

I'm pretty sure an Oasis lid wouldn't fit in a toilet roll.

Fuck me, I've seen some non-judgemental comments on MN, but people saying 'it's none of your business' have clearly never seen a child actually choking on something like that.

I've worked in A&E and I can absolutely confirm for you OP that this kind of thing can choke a child. A plastic lid is the perfect size to wedge very nicely in an airway. So the parent was being unintentionally dangerous to let the toddler at it.

The germs I'm not so concerned about.

Well I'm quite very lax when it comes to germs but even I think this is pretty vile. Tubes are pretty rank places. And it's definitely a choking hazard. So no, YANBU to think it is dangerous. I wouldn't have said anything though.

I think I might have tried to say something politely. I expect she'd have probably been rude to me, and maybe it isn't my business. Or maybe if a tragedy did occur then the mum may wish someone had mentioned it. Why not say something, its for the childs sake afterall. The child can't make a rational decision on it and I could only assume the mother wasn't aware.

It's got nothing to downright what your child can 'handle'. When I read this sort of thing I despair.

Children will and do choke on items they know full well how to chew, it's to do with the size and shape of said items. A grape can completely occlude their airway.

*do with

I'm very relaxed about germs and dirt but the tube floor is beyond disgusting (perhaps those posters who would be fine with their toddlers licking the floor haven't been on the tube recently...)

And of course a bottle lid isn't a suitable chew - choking or cutting risks aplenty

Personally I'd probably have kicked it away! That is absolutely shocking and really disgusting! ( my judgey pants are firmly pulled up!)

Yes it was a bit dangerous. But I guess it depends on size of child and size of lid.