To wish strangers wouldn't talk to children?

[2anddone]

Just home from a rare visit to town and I couldn't believe how many strangers (mainly older people 50+) spoke to dn!
In McDonald's an old man started talking to us both, in queues in shops people tried to start a conversation with her and even paying for the car park ticket!
Dn (3) is quite shy and didn't answer them but that still didn't stop the talking to her.
At one point I said 'sorry she won't speak to somebody she doesn't know, at least the stranger danger talk worked' to which the reply I received was 'It's hard to know where to draw the line isn't it!'
I agree that not everyone is 'bad' and I feel awful that some of these older people maybe just crave conversation as they don't have anyone to talk to, I am more than happy to chat to anyone but AIBU to wish they didn't talk to the children if they don't know them?? (Prepared to be flamed!!)

The OP has left the building.

Maybe it got too chatty for her.

Insanity OP

@Nesssie actually, where I live people do that - strangers would walk up to dc (18 months) and try to 'help' down the stairs etc... it's terrifying, really, but I guess pedophilia is not as big a problem as in the UK and crime rates are really low.

Worlds gone mad.

Imagine! People talking to each other we are all doomed.

What have I just read? Member of society talks to another member of society shocker. I despair at times I really do!!

I’ve read some ridiculous things on here but this takes the fucking biscuit.

Reminder to self... you're too old to talk to children.

YABU

I'm old. I live on my own. I don't feel lonely. I don't feel an urge to speak to strange children, but I do speak to them if the situation arises.

OP, you need help. And maybe a stiff drink.

YABU.

Haven't read whole thread, how do you feel about someone younger speaking to your niece, is there still the same issue.

Oh it's official ! The world has gone mad !

I'm sorry OP but when I read your post I felt utterly depressed. What a horrible place the world would be if all people never had these small interactions with children they didn't know. I'm so relieved that so many people think YABU.

My FIL is in his 60s and he talks to strangers children a lot I admit I'm a bit 🤨 when he does but he means no harm but i can see that the parent of th child/ren are feeling awkward but don't want to say anything.

I love the irony of the OP fucking off and everyone else chatting to each other in her absence. Tickles me.

@MrsTerryPratcett I was just thinking the same! The irony.

Obligatory “are you sniffing glue?” Directed towards OP

Sometimes we have to. Two kids roaming around Tesco, too small to be on their own, ask where's your mum? She's gone. Tell them to follow me to customer services to get an announcement out for their mum. We have to talk to kids sometimes because if we didn't, someone with bad intentions could have led them out of the shop and then what?

I and probably most people are not in the slightest bit interested in trying to start a conversation with a child we don't know.

You are being totally unreasonable. What if you and DN are the only people an elderly person has interacted with all day?

I always interact with kids, shoot me.

She obviously wasn't as "prepared to be flamed" as she thought. 😅

Jesus Christ. This has got to be one of the most ridiculous threads I've read in a long time.
What a dull and dreary life you must lead, OP.

Are you the miserable sod with a screaming child across the aisle on a flight recently who calmed down when OH started to do his repertoire of ear twisting/tongue out (his own ears!) and eyebrow jiggling? The child was thrilled and tried to copy him, cue the mother 'How dare you interact inappropriately with my child!'. She was happy that he went back to shrieking and disturbing the whole flight.

There seems to be a trend recently of OPs starting threads, getting a big fat YABU, then leaving the thread