Do you talk to stranger's children?

J&A2008

I do.  A lot.  Especially babies.  I would not try talking to a child older than around a year because I wouldn't want to stress a child with stranger awareness.

I smile, make googly eyes and talk baby babble with any infants in the grocery store, post office, etc. 

I guess someday, someone may threaten to shoot me.  I would never follow anyone to their car or ever open a car door, but I'm sure people have thought before that I am weird. 

I loved interacting with LO at that age, and they just love the attention.  I only continue if the baby is smiling and interacting with me.

Jillibean85

Usually if a baby or kid is looking at me - no matter the age - I'll smile. If they keep staring I'll start waving and saying "Hiii!" or making silly faces to make them laugh. That's about the extent of it..

IncognitoSuperhero

I usually smile or say hi, and that's about it. I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable. I know for me, I have a 5 month old, when someone interacts too much with DS, it feels weird. It's like when someone is in your personal bubble. You just want them to stop or back up. I think talking baby talk to someone else's baby is creepy. Yep, I said it.

Nita2603

Jillibean85:

Usually if a baby or kid is looking at me no matter the age I'll smile. If they keep staring I'll start waving and saying "Hiii!" or making silly faces to make them laugh. That's about the extent of it..

This.

RondackHiker

Nita2603:

Jillibean85:

Usually if a baby or kid is looking at me no matter the age I'll smile. If they keep staring I'll start waving and saying "Hiii!" or making silly faces to make them laugh. That's about the extent of it..

This.

Me too.

klondikebar

Jillibean85:

Usually if a baby or kid is looking at me - no matter the age - I'll smile. If they keep staring I'll start waving and saying "Hiii!" or making silly faces to make them laugh. That's about the extent of it..

This.

zeptattoo

I do when they initiate contact/conversation.  I think its a little mean when a kid tries to talk to an adult and the adult pretends that the kid isn't even there.

ASmallWonder

I talk to any kid that is showing interest in me (like if they're hanging over the back of a booth at a restaurant or smiling at me from their car seat in the shopping cart while I'm in line etc.)  I don't THINK I do it in a creepy way at all.  Just a "Hi there!  I like your teddy bear!"  But I would never approach someone's car or anything.  Then again, I'm the size of a small child so I don't think I'm very intimidating :-p

kcisthebombdotcom

fredalina:

Yes, and I don't find it strange or creepy when other people talk to LO either. That's the South for you. I remember my first trip to Boston I got the mega stink eye from a mom and dad for daring to smile at a tot who was looking at me. My first experience with culture shock.

I'm a New Englander and I always talk to kids especially if one smiles/tries to talk to me. I have now learned people are likely frightened by me and think I'm going to try to take their kid.

I think it's a sad reflection on society when a child smiles at an adult that we're supposed to ignore them so others don't perceive us to be a threat. I'm on guard when someone gets a little over the top with my kid, sure, but the average person smiling/saying hi to my kid(s) don't freak me out either.

Cbidt's girl

fredalina:

Yes, and I don't find it strange or creepy when other people talk to LO either. That's the South for you. I remember my first trip to Boston I got the mega stink eye from a mom and dad for daring to smile at a tot who was looking at me. My first experience with culture shock.

We aren't all like that ;. I'm a Bostonian who smiles and interacts with kids. I've never had anyone give me the stink eye for that...

Icarusalsoflew

If they interact with me or seem very interested in me I do. Otherwise I'll just smile at children and keep it moving... But I'm a New Englander so yanno .

KJmashup

I do, if the child seems willing. I personally love it when strangers talk to my DS. He loves it too.

lifesthebeach

I will smile and wave to babies if they are trying to get my attention.  I usually don't start conversations with bigger kids, because I don't want to worry their parents.  I was in line at the grocery store the other day and there was a lady with 3 toddler-aged girls and a baby.  One of the little girls kept peeking at me and asking her mom "Who is that lady?"  Mom was smiling, so I said hi to the girls.  Then they started asking me all sorts of questions, and telling me lots of important info in baby babble that I didn't understand at all.  Mom would interpret things now and then, so I didn't feel weird talking to them.  As another poster said though, I look like a kindergarten teacher and kids come up to me all the time.  I also had a bunch of baby stuff in my cart, so I guess that would make it obvious that I have kiddos,unless I'm a complete weirdo.

notkateanymore

Yes, I talk to all children. I'm that person. I mean, I haven't tried to get in anybody's car, but I do talk to kids. I love them!

notkateanymore

-auntie-:

I sort of look like a kindergarten teacher, so little kids engage me fairly often. My family is sort of used to it. DS thinks it's funny because I am not a warm & fuzzy person by nature and tend to treat LOs like small adults. Last week DS and I were grabbing a slice of pizza and some random 4-ish little girl came up to my booth and asked me to zip her coat despite her mother and grandmother sitting with her. Mom was mortified. Weirdly, it's happened before.

Yesterday I was in line at the UPS Store when I felt something on my leg. I jumped and turned around to see some little girl I'd never seen before with her arms wrapped around my thigh. She saw I wasn't her mother and shrieked like she's seen a monster. LOL, that was different. Again, the mother was mortified. I was sort of, too, especially as the kid was clawing at the door to escape. 

You're like Santa! 

mom2pottamus

I always smile at them no matter the age.  If they talk to me, I talk to them.  Or if babies/toddlers look I make faces or wave.  I don't seek them out, but I have never had any instance where I was stink eyed for it.  Maybe because I always have two kids with me...

AshasaurusRex

I do if they're looking at me, but I also always include their parent with a, "How old is your son/daughter? S/he's so cute!" or something like that. I don't like it when people talk to my kids but ignore me, so I give other parents the same courtesy, it also seems less creepy to me.

MJHershey

If they are looking at me I will wave and say "Hi there!" but keep my distance and smile at the parent and compliment the child. Then move on.

RayRay007

I don't go out of my way to approach babies and kids in public. If I'm standing in line behind a mom and baby at the grocery store I might say hi, smile or make faces. If a little kid looks at me I might say hi. If we're stuck in a place together (in line, on an airplane) I might say I like your shirt or your hair looks pretty.

RayRay007

SouthSideDrea:

I talk to babies in line at the grocery store, I do not talk to older children who may have been taught not to talk to strangers. If they have heard that from their parents and teachers the least I can do is help them learn that responsible well adjusted safe adults don't violate those social boundaries. However a lot of children talk to us when we are out at the park with our dogs, if they ask to pet the dogs and their parents aren't around I ask where their parents are and do a friendly parent to parent nod, then I thank them for asking, tell them it's the smart thing to do because not all dogs like to be pet by strangers and then give them the go ahead.

It's a violation of social boundaries to say hi to another human being? Hunh. You should come to Canada. We say hi to people we walk by in the street all the time. Kinda makes my day, actually, when someone says hello just because.

jorkz821

twatley:

I always smile and make funny faces at babies when I'm in line at the grocery store. I also always comment on babies when I see them in public. Mommas like to hear that their children are beautiful.nbsp;

This is me too.

MommaG123

I won't like flag down a kid just so I can talk to them but if a kid is looking at me I smile and say hi.  If they continue the conversation then I will talk back.

As for babies I always smile, make funny faces and such to them.  I also usually talk to the mom/dad and ask how old they are, say how cute they are, etc. 

LadySnowblood

Ha! I wish my FIL would read this thread. We ate out for Thanksgiving this year, and after he was done eating, FIL got up and started walking around. He stopped at this one table with a baby and a toddler to coo at them (he LOVES LOs). At one point, he was (play) chasing the toddler around. Yeah. Um, no. DH and I tried to tell him later after we left that was creepy/weird and he got all butt hurt. He thinks we're too uptight. Me, on the other hand, I will smile/wave/make funny faces/say Hi, but that's pretty much it.

CoffeeBeen

I start with a smile.  If they're pre-talkers and respond with a smile/laugh/funny face then I'll keep making fun faces.  if they talk back then I engage in conversation. 

I'll engage them as long as they seem entertained.  If it's a line, then usually they're bored and I think of it as a nice thing to keep them occupied. 

I actually think engaging with strangers in community settings is a really important part of social development.  I hate chit chatting with strangers, I'd be really happy if DS grows up to enjoy that sort of thing.

RayRay007

SouthSideDrea:

RayRay007:

SouthSideDrea:

I talk to babies in line at the grocery store, I do not talk to older children who may have been taught not to talk to strangers. If they have heard that from their parents and teachers the least I can do is help them learn that responsible well adjusted safe adults don't violate those social boundaries. However a lot of children talk to us when we are out at the park with our dogs, if they ask to pet the dogs and their parents aren't around I ask where their parents are and do a friendly parent to parent nod, then I thank them for asking, tell them it's the smart thing to do because not all dogs like to be pet by strangers and then give them the go ahead.

It's a violation of social boundaries to say hi to another human being? Hunh. You should come to Canada. We say hi to people we walk by in the street all the time. Kinda makes my day, actually, when someone says hello just because.

I'm not talking about saying a polite hello, I'm talking about engaging a strange 8 year old in conversation. I have no reason to do that, so why would I? And I even go on to describe that if I did have reason to engage with a child I'd first ask where their parent is and acknowledge the parent before engaging the child. But you'd have to read the whole paragrah to pick up on that.

I did read the whole paragraph, thank you for checking 

You refered to being taught not to talk to strangers and then said well adjusted safe adults don't violate "those" boundaries. So in my mind it implies that normal adults don't even say hi. Plus I was being a tad facetious with all the stranger danger talk around here these days.

LuckyDad

As a man, I have to be a little more careful about talking to stranger's children. It's the cold reality of life. If I have DS with me I do feel like it's a different story, as I can just introduce DS to the child and say things like "Who is that? Who is that?"

I'll say hello to children and smile, but I won't engage in long conversations.

MommyKayla11

Jillibean85:

Usually if a baby or kid is looking at me - no matter the age - I'll smile. If they keep staring I'll start waving and saying "Hiii!" or making silly faces to make them laugh. That's about the extent of it..

I do this too. 

Jen&Len

I'll say hi or answer questions if they ask me something, but I won't initiate a conversation with a child.

hmp1

If the kid is looking at me, I will usually say something like "I like your shirt". I am more likely to talk to a kid if I have mine with me. I will say "I like your shirt. Look James, he has a train on his shirt. That's cool.".

MandaPanda518

jorkz821:

twatley:

I always smile and make funny faces at babies when I'm in line at the grocery store. I also always comment on babies when I see them in public. Mommas like to hear that their children are beautiful

This is me too.

Me three! I can't help it! I think us Californians might be more laid back about these things. I would have never thought it would be weird to interact with babies or kids, as long as they aren't a creeper of course.