Dear random old people...

Thank god my son is now 12, and I dont have any daughters..... and yes I did allow older people and anyone else who wanted to to croon over and pinch his cheeks.

It seemed unjust to keep all the cuteness for myself.

The only boundaries I still hold near and dear is smoking, dont come near my kid with a cig, dont smoke in the car with my kid, if my kids friends have parents who smoke indoors, he isnt coming over, but if they smoke outside their home that is ok with me.

I don't think it's too much to ask to defer to parents and their rules for their own kids. We are all going to have a different viewpoint on this, and frankly there are some damn wise people on here disagreeing with me. Again, I think it's a great idea to ask the parents.

I complete agree with this. Your kids, your rules.

But, (I think we talked about this before) having been falsely accused of interacting improperly with a child when a cute kid was climbing over her seat of a plane to say "hello" - I'm also sensitive that a few parents are, in my experience, too sensitive in my real life experience.

Whether you want to err on the side of caution, which might come from environment, past parenting experience, a personal sense of responsibility, allergies, whatever ... it's likely that up front communication helps both ways. Don't want me to be friendly with your child, fine, let me know up front.

At the other end of the spectrum, I live in a place where we kiss cheeks when we meet. Yesterday, taking my daughter to a party, we ran into a posse of her school friends on the street - a veritable squall/squeal of 9 year olds. Most of which I don't know. All quite proper when they greeted me by either shaking hands or with the two step cheek-peck. Different culture, might seem strange to you, but that is what is quite normal here. (Edit: an obviously wouldn't be normal if I was truly a stranger and not linked as a parent of anther child school child).

If I know you then touching is fine. I just don't like random strangers touching without asking first. I don't mind being touched myself, and I often hug and am very comfortable with cheek kissing, I just think that clearing it with parents first, before interacting with kids, isn't too much to ask. Not clearing it, on the other hand, honestly gives me a signal that someone may have boundary issues. And, yes, talking with kids on an airplane is pretty much the norm. They want to say "hi" to everyone, at least mine did.

I promise I honestly don't touch random kids. :laugh:
And from the examples here, I do see the other points of view.

Like I said, I agree: your kids, your rules with regards to boundaries (touching, food, tv, etc...) :drinker:

I'm completely confident that you're right. My guess is that we both are more concerned with the BSC creepers and the BSC over protectors, than we are about the normal range of different approaches to personal interaction and touching.

ageism sucks. I can only hope when I hear things like this that it doesn't come back to them when they're of a certain age. That would be karma, but still....... it sucks. Admiring a baby is now creepy. pfffftttt.

If all of you spent as much time in the gym, as it took you to write this crap... you would probably be hitting those goals you set out for yourself.

I would never touch other people's gross, nasty kids/infants, with snotty noses and dirty faces, etc. !!!! :sick:

Stay of my lawn!!!!

My fiance has his ears stretched to 1 3/4 inch. It never ceases to amaze me the strangers who come up to him in public and put their fingers in his ears or grab them. Incredibly rude!

Your fiancé is a child? Is this a thing?

If all of you spent as much time in the gym, as it took you to write this crap... you would probably be hitting those goals you set out for yourself.

If I spent as much time in the gym as I did on MFP I'd be in the hospital. lol

Don't just walk up and touch babies and kids...seriously, it's creepy.

Perhaps she should place her child in a bubble where they will be totally safe from outside "contaminants".

Keep your hands to your self unless you have been given the ok to do otherwise.

Don't just walk up and touch babies and kids...seriously, it's creepy.

If you have a specific context you are adressing, spell it out.

If not, blow me.

Perhaps she should place her child in a bubble where they will be totally safe from outside "contaminants".

Keep your hands to your self unless you have been given the ok to do otherwise.

QFT. I was in line with my infant daughter strapped to my chest in a carrier, because I had to run an errand and didn't have any other choice but to take her with me. A woman came over and tried to touch her, at which point I hugged her closer to me and turned away so she couldn't get a hand on her, while saying "don't touch my daughter."

Woman got all huffy and walked away saying snottily "I was just trying to say hello."

My somewhat loud response? "Ma'am? She has pinkeye."

I know, I tried to keep a total stranger from being infected with a ridiculously contagious and annoying illness. I'm a monster.

Dear random young adults (OP):

1. Most of your children are cute only to you.
2..Teach them to keep their sticky slimmy hands to themselves.
3. Teach your children some manners, or better yet take the class first.
4. Potty train your children before taking them out in public without a diaper (just nasty).
5. Do not bring them out in public when they are sick and blowing snot bubbles (NASTY not cute)
6. Stop leaving your used baby diapers in the parking lot (again just nasty).
7. Your child is really not that special, except to you.

Just one old man's opinion..........

I hate to say it, but it is our generation being jaded.

I was on a flight last week and this little toddler was running up and down the isle and the old guy next to me just kept touching the kid's head and running his hand over his hair any time he ran past, and, fair enough, kept a hand out when the little one fell a few times, but I could see the dad was a bit miffed.