Objecting to weird people lecturing my 3yo about not asking their name??

[flightattendant]

We were in town this morning and sat on a wall for a rest. some women walked past (elderly and middle aged daughter). DS (3) is in a phase of talking to strangers, when I'm there. I've tried to stop him but usually people just smile or talk to him, he's really sociable.
Anyway he says to them, politely, as they pass, 'Hello, what are your names?'
The younger one turns round and says, @you really shouldn't ask people questions like that, we are nice ladies but we aren't going to tell you our names'.
DS looks upset and comes and puts his head on my lap.
Elderly woman then asks DS how old he is. I look at them both and say, 'You really shouldn't ask people questions like that'. DS continues to hide his little face, he's totally ashamed.
Younger woman doesn't go away but continues sprouting about 'I hope he doesn't feel rejected, but I don't think it's a good idea to ask people their names...blah blah...like I am not aware of the dangers of talking to strangers.
Is it me having odd notions about children not fully understanding the usual social inhibitions, or could she just have smiled at him and said something like 'I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours'..? After all I was right there and FGS he is TINY!
I can't work ut why she was so bloody threatened by it.( maybe this thing with the little girl who has gone missing, but I doubt it...)

Flightattendant, your ds sounds utterly charming, my ds spoke to adsolutely everyone at this age. Should have said to these 'ladies', "well at least he HAS social skills, which is more than could be said...."
To nick a phrase from somebody else, they sound like mentalists.

My DS was like this too at that age. Still is very socialble. I tried to have the stranger danger talk with him but he just took to asking peoples names and then said "they're not a stranger they're ..." lol.

sounds like she is from the "children should be seen and not heard brigade"

she is a weirdo,your poor ds

they are odd adn rude.

Your ds is charming.

Definitely not being unreasonable - pair of old cows!! My DD is just like your DS - talks to everyone about everything - I've mentioned strangers, she says that it's okay if your there Mummy isn't it? It's hard because I don't want to squash her natural friendliness or make her scared.

I think it would be ridiculous for a THREE year old to have to stop talking freely to people!

These women were utterly wierd. Don't worry, as you say most people will engage appropriately. Those that do this sort of thing are thankfully very rare.

My ds has had and still has some lovely chats with complete strangers when he is with me and/or his dad.

oh and similar to Franny's ds, he has times when he greets all and sundry though the latest is his little old man mode, where he says in very adult tones "Good MORNING".

People can boil their heads if they find this annoying.

it is a sad comment that we have to stop our children from talking to strangers, even in our presence. my son is excatly the same, very confident, very sociable. i am not going to make him into a miserable, anti-social child just because some people think it is weird that he is so friendly. at 3 he is too young to understand that he shouldn't talk to strangers. in time i will teach him the dangers.

flight - may be they mistook your son for a policeman and as they were on the run, they didn't wish to be named ?

they sound soooo annoying
i would have reacted like you and felt like crap for my ds
old bats...

Horrid ladies!
We're in Holland where you are expected to say hello and good morning / afternoon to everyone you meet. British people are often considered quite rude becuse we don't greet everyone when we walk into a shop. And considered rude for only giving the cursory "I'm fine, thank you" reply to being asked how you are. You are expected to tell everyone in great detail exactly how you feel! It takes a bit of getting used to but people do actually look at one another in passing here. I like it. Makes for a nice feeling of community. Perhaps your ds should come over here!

He sounds lovely and sweet. We live in a small community where you sy hello to everyone you pass in the street even if you don't really know them to talk to. Dd went througha phase of saying loudly to me (as I greeted someone) "Mummy! Do you know that man?" Made me feel like I was very promiscuous!

Obviously childless women who feel that they are "Good with children" despite having no experience with them.

Give me a group of mildly stoned teenagers any day. They'll talk back to anyone, then they giggle, and 3 year olds find this charming.

ds sometimes says "careful" loudly with his hand out to emphasise extreme caution to old people coming down stairs - it must be all the "carefuls" he has heard me say to him over the years coming down from the bedroom !