Was this check out guy creepy and would you report?

[Calmanrose]

Dd and I dropped into a shop yesterday. National chain but not a branch we had ever been in. The guy on the check out started to scan my items but stopped to get my 4yr old to give him a high five and a fist bump. Fair enough. Then he asked her 'are we going to the park later? ' she heard park and was all excited. The he asked if she was going to share her sweeties... at this point she says 'no ' and is rather less keen. There's more random chat etc calling her sweetheart. Until this point I felt it was just friendly if not rather irritating... Until we left and he blew her kisses.
Dh says I should complain. I did feel it was inappropriate but that he was merely trying to be friendly. I'm not going to complain but it did make me uncomfortable especially as we are at the stage of trying to make dd aware that she shouldn't talk to strangers.

I do think you over reacted with this OP, I think he was just socially awkward. But at the same time I agree with pp who say we should trust our instincts especially regarding the safety of our children. So don't beat yourself up or take too many of the posts to heart. I just bought The Gift of Fear last week and am reading it.

Well I had a big long chat with a three year old this morning in the charity shop where I volunteer about whether Elsa was better than Olaf. And we sang Let It Go. (not all the way through, obviously). Police will be coming for me any minute.

What happens if she meets him outside of the customer/cashier environment and he is "friendly" again? Does she have to let him take her to the park, because he's not a stranger now is he?

She is FOUR. If she is meeting up with strangers ON HER OWN - there are much bigger issues.

we should trust our instincts especially regarding the safety of our children.

The instincts that tell us our family member is safe, or that your friend who you've known for ages just wouldn't do something like that. Those instincts?

The instincts that tell us our family member is safe, or that your friend who you've known for ages just wouldn't do something like that. Those instincts?

^This.

Precisely the reason stranger danger is a bloody stupid thing to teach.

I worked with a man for almost ten years, laughed with him, had meetings and sat down beside him, called on him for help and advice, discussed family and professional life with him etc. He was convicted a couple of years ago (while I still worked with him) of child abuse over a period of more than a decade. He was a police sergeant and sentenced to 20 years. I felt sick to the stomach when I found out and it still plays on my mind now. Paedophiles don't come with a neon sign, they don't overtly groom children of customers at the checkout. They're teachers, police officers, businessmen, community leaders, politicians - people who appear on the face of it to be fine, upstanding members of society but have very easy access to children and abuse their trust. They're fathers, uncles, colleagues, brothers too. Spidey senses are easily tricked.

Well I had a big long chat with a three year old this morning in the charity shop where I volunteer about whether Elsa was better than Olaf. And we sang Let It Go. (not all the way through, obviously). Police will be coming for me any minute
@PoppyPopcorn
I reckon you will get time for such a crime.

I'll assert again that some of you simply can't read

How very mature...

Op, go with your instincts, I would pop a word in to the manager about a little more training for staff on what's appropriate.

There's always one isn't there! Even the OP, to be fair, wasn't actually going to report him.

Bonkers.

Littlelion you are so right.