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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to peer into prams?

52 replies

iwastooearlytobeayummymummy · 21/04/2010 22:36

I just can't stop myself peering into prams and pushchairs and admiring babies!

My youngest is 11 and I find I have turned into that perimenopausal woman in the supermarket saying How old? How lovely!How quickly they grow up!

AIBU or AI being scary?

Please advise and I will try to modify my behaviour accordingly.

OP posts:
Morloth · 22/04/2010 18:04

LOL, I was saying to DH that I am going to have to allow for "admiring the baby" time on my errands.

I think it helps that he is in the sling and therefore right at eye-level, I don't mind when people want to stroke his cheek/the peach fuzz on his head, I do it all the time.

Is nice, how can you mind someone telling you how lovely your baby is?

EveWasFramed · 22/04/2010 18:12

I think it's lovely to coo, and when I was a brand new mum and just moved to England, people cooing over my DS often led into conversation, which I was desperate for.
I was walking with DS in a sling once, and passed by a JCB factory, where three absolutely enormous blokes, out on the pavement smoking fags, went completely weak kneed and soppy over my DS...it was about the most adorable thing I'd ever seen, and still makes me grin (DS is nearly 4!).

AliGrylls · 22/04/2010 18:21

I love it when people look at DS (now 10 months) - it makes me think it is not just me that thinks he is sweet. The other thing is that it leads to so many conversations, which because I am quite shy I would not have got into otherwise.

Completely YANBU - keep on going.

CantSleepWontSleep · 22/04/2010 18:24

It depends.
If you are a smoker then yes, YABU.
If you try to grab and/or stroke the baby who is trying to sleep and is not a good sleeper, then YABU.
Otherwise, peer away!

larks35 · 22/04/2010 19:51

YANBU

I absolutely loved to attention my DS got when he was really little. It was part of our daily routine to walk through the park and down the high street and get loads of cooing from daytime shoppers, from when he was about 6 weeks he would give lovely smiles back. I will say it helped to keep me happy and feel less lonely.

Now that he's 15months he gets less of that and when people do chat to him, he often gives them his [sceptical] face and they lose interest.

3ismylot · 22/04/2010 20:04

YADNBU
I love it when people comment on the dcs
I have 8 month old twins and the old dears love them lol, my buggy is one in front of the other so sometimes people dont notice straight away and I get alot of "oh theres 2!!"

I agree that it can really make a bad day seem alot better

abride · 22/04/2010 20:12

We have a lovely old gent in our village who would always doff his cap when I was walking our two unruly dogs while pushing the double buggy with a toddler and baby. 'Children look wonderful. Dogs are a credit to you.'

In fact neither compliment was justified, but it made me feel a little less harassed.

OneTwoBuckleMyShoe · 22/04/2010 20:44

YANBU b ut please please do not do what two old dears did to me today in Mumsietat.

DD asleep in her pram, muslins covering the pram hood to keep sun off her. They pushed it aside (no mean feat as it was clipped on) and started poking her until she woke up.

I have to admit I said some not very nice things

lisianthus · 22/04/2010 20:57

YANBU, or at least I really hope you are. I used to be a "new baby? great! Congrats! OK, moving on now..." type of person. Since I had DD, I've turned into a total sook about babies.

What a lovely old man, abride!

NarabugHitWindscreen · 22/04/2010 21:12

YANBU, peer into my pram and DD might even reward you with a wave or a high-5!

As long as you aren't smoking while you lean RIGHT OVER MY NEWBORN like some lady did once......

Original poster
iwastooearlytobeayummymummy · 22/04/2010 21:35

Glad to hear that my behaviour isn't condsidered nosey or scary

Just reading about all your babies has made me go a bit gooey,

Thank goodness DH has been snipped

OP posts:
leftangle · 22/04/2010 21:48

Ooh yes I love the admiration - and I know it won't last much longer so am making the most of it. Also please wave at my dd on the bus. She loves waving at people and can't understand why some miserable otherwise occupied people don't wave back.

sungirltan · 22/04/2010 21:55

yabu - i do it constantly even though dd is only 6 months. its cos we understand the joy!

Jamieandhismagictorch · 22/04/2010 22:00

Look, but Don't, for the love of god, TOUCH the baby, or someone will start an AIBU thread about you

Jamieandhismagictorch · 22/04/2010 22:01

che - Congratulations !!! - I had no idea you'd had it. Boy or Girl ?

OrmRenewed · 22/04/2010 22:03

I do it. I can't help it. Surely it would be rude not to?

I also want to touch the babe but I don't thanks to MN teaching me that is teh behaviour of a dangerous child-eating loon

Galena · 22/04/2010 22:06

DD is 1 tomorrow and always attracts attention... the fact that her 3-6 month clothes are still a bit big helps, of course! (She was born at 27 weeks)

I love it, until people ask me if I'm SURE she's 1! As if I'd forget!

Jamieandhismagictorch · 22/04/2010 22:07

Orm - I ruffled a child's hair once EEK

Also, don't attempt to guess the age or gender of the baby, for fear of getting it wrong and sending poor first-time mum into a tailspin

Jamieandhismagictorch · 22/04/2010 22:08

X post Galena !

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 22/04/2010 22:09

YADNBU - please do carry on as you seem to have got it just right - unlike many of the people in the stories on this thread!

I'll never forget taking ds1 out for a walk in his pram on my fist day "home alone" with him. There were 2 old ladies nattering in the street. Their faces lit up when they saw me coming, they were virtually elbowing each other out of the way to get the first peep while saying "who have we got in here then?" all excitedly! They asked his name, his weight and how we were getting on. They were so positive and encouraging about everything that I said. It made my week, not just my day!

mountainmonkey · 22/04/2010 22:29

I'm the mother of a very cute baby and am constantly getting stopped by people going "Oh! He's gorgeous! Look at those eyes!" Its a bit embarrassing because I never know what to say (is it wrong to just agree with them?) Love the attention really- we call him the granny magnet!

Original poster
iwastooearlytobeayummymummy · 22/04/2010 22:32

I definately don't touch, but am very excited as a new mum across the road has promised me a cuddle

with baby, not her

OP posts:
Galena · 23/04/2010 08:28

mountainmonkey, I generally reply 'Thanks - I think so too, but I'm biased!' She's also got eyes which attract attention.

waitingforbedtime · 23/04/2010 08:37

I loved it when people commented on ds when he was tiny - it was mostly when he was very little though as after about 1 yr he developed a face when people spoke to him!

I remember an old man came up to us once and looked ds up and down and said 'well young man youre the smartest boy Ive seen today - here's 50p' and turned to me and said 'isnt he lovely' - made my day Ds was about 18m.

Jamieandhismagictorch · 23/04/2010 10:07

I love the positivity on this thread