To tell off sticky fingered, grubby children?

[PolkerrisBeach]

It's our village show today. Lots of floral displays, kids races, decorated plant pots and the suchlike. Lots of entries in the craft and baking tents as there always is. I entered a few things, one being a knitted white rabbit in the soft toy category (came second and won £1)

Went back to the tent to check how I'd done and as we were looking round there was a family with two small children of about 3 and 5 prodding and poking all the entries in the craft section - luckily the baking had been covered with cellophane. I didn't fancy dirty toddler fingers all over a brand new knitted toy so when the child went to grab the bunny, I told her not to, and to leave other people's things alone. The older woman with her said nothing but flared at me as if I had two heads.

So AIBU to expect parents to teach children that they look with their eyes and not their fingers??

Yanbu

Nope.

There is an issue nowadays where it seems wrong for other adults to teach children to be respectful. A lot of parents haven't worked out there is a reason for the saying "It takes a village to raise a child".

Yanbu
People let their kids do anything they want these days. It’s crazy.

Same woman is now letting the children chase the dogs who are preparing for the agility. I'm am thinking she is a spectacularly useless granny/parent

I had a relative round last week. The child who is capable of sitting was walking around with water melon and I asked both parents if she could sit.

They just laughed at me and said nothing to her. We found water melon hidden away later that week. I can't stand grubby hands where there's no need for it.

Yanbu.
Perhaps next year you could suggest a snake exhibit.

Are children automatically filthy? Is this a thing? I carry wet wipes around to avoid it.

YAdefinitelyNBU

Yep, YABU. Not all toddlers are dirty by default, and i take it as a compliment when kids like the toys I knit and crochet, since most handmade toys look blooming awful.

Depends how you said it. If people gently tell my kids off I don't mind but if they are rude I do. You don't actually know the fingers were dirty.

Of course YANBU. And it doesn’t matter whether or not the children’s fingers are sticky. It’s a competition. Do not touch. That is a pretty basic rule. Children don’t like their things damaged either so manners need to be learnt.

Yanbu.
Children should be brought up to look and not touch.

Dirty or not - these were items placed in a show for judging. They are to be viewed, not handled and touched.

Ok - but were you horrid about it?

YANBU I have probably told off other people's children more than my own

When we last selling I had a woman come to view my house who handed her 2 yo a chocolate biscuit as she walked through the door.

Less than a minute in I grabbed the child’s hands just before she wiped them on my sofa and without asking whisked her off to the loo to wash her hands.

“Isn’t she adorable? ” said her Mum.

“Not if she stains my furniture”

The Mum looked very confused.

YANBU

This would totally be my - utterly lovely - MIL though, she cannot tell our two no & hates seeing them cry, honestly she’s ridiculously soft!

Obviously depends how you went about it though.

I think you were unreasonable to tell them off however it would have been reasonable to simply ask them and or ask the adults accompanying them not to touch things.

Are children automatically filthy? Is this a thing?

My DS(3) exudes a sticky substance through the pores on his hands, which then attracts dust, filth and grot to adhere to him. Your wet wipes will not save you from his mankiness.

YANBU

I would be secretly grateful if you told my toddler to stop touching things when my attempts had failed. They respond better to a stranger!

I remember being told off by people at fetes as a child (for handling things or poking cakes) it was sort of accepted that everyone helped control the kids and kept an eye on things!

It depends on your tone - if it was snappy and aggressive then YWBU. If it was firm but polite then YWNBU. I wouldn't have let my DDs touch competition entries at that age, but rudeness isn't on.

People let their kids do anything they want these days. It’s crazy

Absolutely, just this morning I let my kids happy slap an old lady and nick her zimmer frame.

Honestly, a child touching a toy is sort of in their nature. How do you know they were awful and smelly and grubby, OP?

I crochet soft toys to sell (and they're beautiful incidentally - those Heidi Bears creatures for those to whom that statement makes sense) and I never mind a small child coming up and giving one of them a gentle hug... but I do mind a grubby child coming up and parents not at least intervening with a wet wipe as they take bloody days to do (I can make a couple a week if I really go at it but there's a LOT of labour in one)

DD2 in particular can look grubby very very easily - I joke the child was born dishevelled so I do get it from the side of a grubby child owner as well!

Whether they were grubby or sticky-fingered is immaterial. Either items were to be touched or they weren't.
But I'm surprised if no-one was touching anything. I've never been to a show where people wander round and just look at the entries like they're in a museum. People are always touching entries ime.