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Original poster

People touch my baby's face - rant

121 replies

qi · 05/01/2007 14:58

I am always angry about this.

Today at M&S shop there was a woman (who works there) came from no where and start to touch DS's face.

I treat my DS as a little person not a toy, I'd expect others do the same. Besides, how do I know a random person's hand is clean or this person does not have disease?

I think it should be an offence to touch baby's face without asking the parent first.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

misdee · 07/01/2007 09:18

oh god i remember that bubble buggy JJ. had a big blue(??) filter on the it. didnt michael jackson have one for his kids?

lulumama · 07/01/2007 09:33

it is called the

babysphere pram

i have also googled, and can find the name, but no image, which might lead me to believe it wasn;t terribly popular

kandi · 07/01/2007 09:46

Ok, this will shock you. When DD was about 5 months old, a friend and I were talking on a busy London street waiting for some friends. We both had our babies in their buggies, and a homeless man came up to us and started cooing over our little girls. He then went and shook both of them on the hands. And I admit my first reaction was to pull back in horror, but my friend was so cool and didn't bat and eyelid, that it made me feel ashamed. Then the homeless guy said 'Thank you so much' to us for letting him touch our babies. And I was so touched, that that human contact with a baby was so important to him. It made me chill out a lot.

A few months ago now a girl in Woolworths actually kissed DD on the lips. By this time, I was totally cool and DD gave her such a big smile, that I thought it was quite lovely, actually

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misdee · 07/01/2007 09:50

oh god kandi that homeless man might have given your baby a disease

no, that was nice actually. though i did have one old lady go to coo over dd1 and she recoiled in horror as dd1 had eczema all over her face 'whats happened to your babys face' she said in shock. 'nothing i said, she has ezcema' and i walked off with dd1.

Edam · 07/01/2007 10:08

Was reading this thread, thinking 'yup, everyone who says the OP was a bit OTT was right'. But then I really felt like going and washing my hands! Qi obviously has real power of suggestion.

DetentionGrrrl · 07/01/2007 10:27

perhaps those worried about people manhandling their kids should have a little sign made to hang on the pushchair.

'Please refrain from touching my child'

misdee · 07/01/2007 10:39

for dd2 that sign should've read 'Please dont touch my child, She BITES'

isbodenok · 07/01/2007 11:01

I think those of you that mind strangers touching and enjoying your children are really missing out on an important aspect of humanity.
This appropriate form of showing kindness to children is being destroyed by a cold hearted and untrusting generation and who could be suprised.
It is what good communities are based on in my opinion,trust,compassion, respect and sharing of responsibility for our babies to our frail elderly neighbours well-being.
Touch is surely not exclusively for the parent and child.
There are good people everywhere.

themildmanneredjanitor · 07/01/2007 13:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SmileysPeople · 07/01/2007 13:15

I don't think it's so bad when you KNOW you're mad MMJ

It's when you think evryone else is mad, like the poster who says 'haven't you haerd of avain flu?' with panic in her voice.

That's mad.

kitbit · 07/01/2007 15:04

We live in Spain where babies are public property and they are especially into cheek pinching which I HATE especially as ds has such soft chubby cheeks and is a frequent target GRRR! He also really hates it which is the main motivator for not letting people do it to him as he can't exactly stop them himself.
I have perfected the art of manoevering the buggy (or myself if ds in sling) deftly to one side away from reaching fingers and reaching down myself to adjust his blanket or something while pretending to be oblivious to what they were about to do, effectively putting a barrier between them and ds. I have also been known to put up a hand to stop someone leaning in for a squeeze then apologetically say "sorry, but I'm a little overprotective" as if it's my fault. That usually works as people don't like to contradict or move in for another go if they've been stopped!
I have on a couple of occasions also slapped someone's hand away when the above two have failed and I really haven't been in the mood for a cheek pinch or tickle (and when I know ds isn't either) but equally sometimes if all they are going to do is stroke his cheek or ruffle his hair (which he quite likes) then I let the prickles go down a bit!!!

Yep, correctly predicted, his is my PFB

hunkermunker · 07/01/2007 15:24

I did read that apparently the bubonic plague was actually started when an old lady touched the side of a baby's face, very gently and affectionately.

You cannot be too careful.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 07/01/2007 15:32

That's right Hunker.

Burn the cities!!!! Burn them now!!!!!!!

VeniVidiVickiQV · 07/01/2007 15:33

Is it wrong that I have PMSL the whole way through this thread, btw?

(misdee - its children like your DD3 that carry and spread all these nasty bugs around hospitals Im sure )

misdee · 07/01/2007 15:34

yup probably no, she does get the obligortry alcohol gel rubbed on her nads when we enter and leave the ward. shame i cant wash her in the stuff

Skyler · 07/01/2007 15:36

PMSL Hunker

I LOVED the fuss made over dd1 and dd2 when we were living in Cyprus. They were welcomed everywhere we went, and cuddled and carried and kissed and often swept off to meet the chefs in the kitchen or the ladies on reception etc etc. I loved it. It made us feel so welcome too. The men were often more OTT than the women too. When dd2 was born I took her into dh's work and all these big strong outdoor working Cypriot men that dh worked with were all over her. I find it such a shame that we are not more family orientated here in the UK. I loved seeing the huge family get togethers in the Restaurants etc. We really need to lighten up in this country. I question our priorities sometimes. It is the thing I miss most about Cyprus. We went out all the time while we were there and we hardly bother here .

VeniVidiVickiQV · 07/01/2007 15:38

Hate that stuff - stings my fingers. Every time I sneeze at work I have to reapply it.

We had a serious H & S warning come through with that a while ago.

Do not wash your hands with this and then light a cigarette/go near a naked flame

SnafuOutOfHiding · 07/01/2007 15:40

It's like dousing your hands in meths. Have you ever tried to eat a sandwich with your hands covered in the stuff? Yeuch.

(Although obviously I have a handy spray bottle to squirt at strangers should they come too close to my PFB. That and the whistle - works a treat.)

misdee · 07/01/2007 15:42

i hate the stuff as well. but needs must.

my other sister was very like this with her PFB, at a party she stated she didnt want her dd passed around. me, i was trying to palm my kids off lol.

Tashsanti92 · 25/06/2018 00:16

Hi can I please write I feel the need to vent !! My 8 month old boy has Bronchalitis again first time he was hospitalised now family and friends should back off and ask wash hands before holding my bub and big no no when comes to kissing his face and hands I have had to be a strict mum and tell al family till he’s older kissing his face hands is not happening cuddle him or kiss his legs. Or somewhere where germs can help get into his mouth etc . I don’t care what people say babies can not handle the germs adults can . The doctor had told me that the germs is obviously coming from someone close as I only take him to visit family . People stopped washing hands they run there faces touch things and don’t use hand sanitizer before holding bubs . I can’t let him get this again from someone holding him or kissing him he’s too little . Yes he will get colds or flues the natural way not from some person who just wants to come spread saliva over my son it makes me so angry to think people can’t ask before kissing him . I would never go up to someone’s baby and kiss there faces . It’s common sense . Gezzz

FartnissEverbeans · 25/06/2018 19:25

I live in the Middle East and people here are never done touching my son, trying to lift him (or actually lifting him), kissing him etc. I'm not going to lie and say it didn't bother me but it usually happened too quickly for me to stop it so I just let it go.

A lot of expats here are from places like the Phillipines and have left their own babies back home, so I think they like the reminder. One guy in particular, a young security guard, held my son for a bit and kissed his cheek, then told me he had never met his own baby who was a year old. He showed me photos on his phone. It was so sad and I think DS, who was the most sociable, chilled out little guy, made his day.

Of course now DS is 20mo and unwanted attention is NOT well tolerated! Leads to some awkward moments

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