This is driving me and my partner insane.
We’re both first time parents with a adorable 2 month old. We have lost count at the amount of people that have approached us while we’re out in public that have walked up and tried to grab her hand or stroke her face. We even had someone try and kiss her!
I would have thought since COVID people would be a little more sensible.
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The baby touching law of 1863.
This has gone on forever, it’s nothing new.
Maybe the 50’s, 60’s it was a thing.
But since the 80’s? Nope.
It used to drive me mad when my little one was younger. I get the impression it’s an older generation thing, there’s no negative intent, just was a bit more acceptable back in their day. Like casual racism and asbestos
I haven’t had people off the street randomly come up and try to touch my baby, but I was in a restaurant the other day and the waitress started holding my baby’s hand etc. I wanted to tell her to not touch my baby, but I also didn’t want my food to be tampered with either!
I wish people would keep their hands to themselves. I also thought COVID would have made people a bit more cautious, but no. I still see people who don’t wash their hands after using the toilet.
Happens to ours all the time as well.
Better in some ways than the people who insisted on feeling my wife’s belly when they were still inside though.
Babies are like crack to older folks. True of pretty much every country. We’re not white so I think old people in the UK were less inclined to coo over our daughters when they were babies, but they definitely can’t keep their hands to themselves when we visit my wife’s home country.
Stroke their face back.
Same for pregnancy bumps that old people seem to have a weird fetish/superstition about touching. They don’t like being touched back.
Like a lot of things these days. Like drivers who speed up if they see a pedestrian crossing the road. Like the taxi driver you booked for a 2am collection who didn’t turn up. Like the hotel who says the “ocean view” room you paid extra for is not available, upon your arrival. Like when someone knocks your £9.50 cheeseburger out of your hand at a music festival because they are on drugs and they felt like it, after you queued for 20 mins in the cold. There is a lot of crap we put up with in the modern world. It is a case of picking your battles I suppose. Congrats on your baby though! 🙂
It hasn’t been acceptable to touch a strangers baby for a very long time, but unfortunately I think it is a bit of instinctive behaviour. Some people are not so good at reigning that in and you will need to tell them to back off.
This has always happened as far as I recall.
I’ve never had kids but most people I know who have have lamented this stuff at one time or another. See also- people grabbing your bump. It’s extremely irritating even to observe and people seem to get so annoyed when you ask them to back off.
Always been that way. Old women are the worst for it. Younger they get they better they are. Something to die out I think.
Carry a cat around with you as a honey trap, people will stroke that cat and ignore the baby.
My eldest child has dark ginger hair and as a baby, he was like a Nana-magnet. I’d always stick my arm in the way or say ‘he’s hungry!’ If someone got a bit too close but once an elderly man said playing peekaboo with my son was the best part of his week and it really stuck with me.
I always found carriers were better for stopping unwanted contact as well.