lady (or guy) can you PLEASE watch your ONE child !

Ok I hate getting their immunization shots and since for medical reasons we are a bit behind we HAD to go today to catch up. I try to take my dh but he is away and it HAD to be done today. I get this woman with her ONE CHILD and the kid comes up to the babies and the mom says "oh she likes babies" ... I do the twin mom stance and not look at her, keep writing away on my paper and keep my eyes from their direction. (maybe they will go away) No such luck. Back again and again we are up to round 4 ! Each time the kid is trying to touch my daughters eye. Mother says "gentle" like a kid that age has ANY idea. Finally in round 4 I said firmly "don't touch" and attempted to divert the childs hands away. FINALLY the mother took the child to the other side of the room.

I hate being a meanie, but I dont' think she'd like her daughter getting her eyes attacked either. Hey I understand the curiousity of round 1 but then GET THE HINT and control your child !! Of course the kid doesn't go near the rest of the room full of babies just mine.

Why can't singleton parents watch over ONE CHILD ??!!! I hate to see my kids cry from getting their shots but each time these trips are SOOOO painful for me too, I come home in such a bad mood.

Anyone else feel the same way ?

Heather

 

It is hard. My dd loves babies and because of Evan, she does have a fairly good grasp of where she should touch babies (on head, not face). I do keep an eye open and try and divert her. It would have been nice for that mom to at least show or educate her child to either the proper touch or no touch, just look. :hug:

 

I understand completely I manage to control 3 toddlers in public why cant other people handle 1 (does that sound terrible Im sorry but I think its important for kids to not bother everyone who just want to get there stuff done) and my kids in the pram are always the target of other peoples children! Good for you for telling her Im usually not gutsy enough. <_<

 

I dont see it as a twins vs. singleton issue. I let my kids LOOK at other babies at the Peds, but I also tell them they cant touch. Its the parent who needs to take responsibility to either "teach" their child what is proper or remove them from the situation. I am sorry you had a bad time.

 

I know EXACTLY what you mean! I was at the mall the other day in Baby Gap, and the aisles in that store are not very wide. The babies were SLEEPING (for once) in their stroller, and a little boy around two came up to them and started poking them. Yes even touched their eye. The father did absolutely nothing! I asked the child not to touch them, but of course he didn't listen to me, and when I tried to get out of the way of this kid the aisle was too narrow for me to pass. Needless to say both babies were screaming by the time I got out of there, and they didn't nap again until the car ride home!

 

I know what you mean. I took one baby in to get checked out at the dr a few weeks ago, and this little 14month old (I am guessing his age), kept coming up and touching him, he would grab at his face and try to poke his eye. I kept intercepting and told him don't touch the baby he is sick, and finally after him doing this about 4 times his mom came over and took him away - prior to that time she just let him do whatever he wanted. I was not as nice as you though, I said not to touch right from the first time. Then he was again playing next to my baby, and fell backwards onto my baby, I luckily was prepared from him touching the baby and was able to catch him before he landed on my child. But geesh - its stressful enough going to the dr for shots or with a sick child that is the last thing you need.

I think pp was right - its all about the parents and how they parent their children. I can't stand rude children, but they usually come attached to rude parents!

 

Ah yes this is so frustrating. My favorite (said severly sarcastically) is when we are at the pedi office and their child has a green runny nose and they are letting them come up to tiny babies (or any child for that matter) and letting them try to crawl in the carriage to take their paci (happened to us)! The mother was on the extreme opposite side of the office and wasn't even looking for him.

Adults are not any better. I always had this one lady that worked there come up and touch all over their faces when she works in an office with many sick kids and I notice she touched everyone's kids that way and didn't wash her hands in between.

I finally had to make a formal complaint and never saw her again.

Hugs to you friend.

 

This is a pet peeve of mine, too. I think basic manners should be expected of all kids, even young toddlers. There is simply no reason why a child should be touching an infant that they don't know (without invitation). Now that we have severe milk allergies (contact reactions) to worry about, I have to be really, really overprotective. If I saw any child I didn't know trying to touch AJ, I would have to physically block that child from touching him. I've even had to put my arm up to block kids I know (DD's friends) from getting too close to the stroller, when I know they've had a snack and haven't washed their hands...

 

QUOTE(meegs @ Oct 30 2008, 01:10 AM) [snapback]1047989[/snapback]
I understand completely I manage to control 3 toddlers in public why cant other people handle 1 (does that sound terrible Im sorry but I think its important for kids to not bother everyone who just want to get there stuff done) and my kids in the pram are always the target of other peoples children! Good for you for telling her Im usually not gutsy enough. <_<


Same here...I'm glad you stood your ground. Sometimes it's th emother that thinks that behavior is cute and lets her kid do it. My twins were never ones to touch other kids when out in public, so that's nice, but yeah, it's rude to do that and I'm glad you finally told the girl no.

 

I don't see how this has anything to do with being a singleton mother, but I can understand your frustration over your babies being touched. I guess saying something politely to the mother is usually the best way to go. It always worked for me. And I think it's never the child's fault if their parents haven't taught them any better.

I also know that my DD has been fascinated with babies since she was 2.. her brother finds them strange :lol: and it's not always easy to control her or keep her away when she spots one.. thankfully she won't touch a baby without asking first. But she's got some super rude refusals from overbearingly protective mothers also. :laughing:

Sorry this happened to you.

 

From the beginning I told DH I wanted to put a sign on the stroller that said "Don't touch the babies". It is my #1 pet peeve when kids or adults just come up and try to touch our babies. DH says I get to bitchy when I say sorry no touching, but hey I don't know you so don't touch my kids. Too bad if I come off bitchy or over protective. I would never go up and do that to someone else's kids.

 

I suppose I'm on the more relaxed side of things (or I'm just a really big wimp and can't bear to be confrontational about it, LOL), but I try to take all of the ogling and touching in stride - especially when it's other little ones who are just really interested that babies can come in twos!

It's like with my 4 year old, who wants to pet every single dog he sees. I try my hardest to stop him before he pets, teach him to ask the owner for permission first, etc...but I can't tell you how many times he's been too fast for me! It's honestly not my bad parenting, as I've tried my best to "control" him...sometimes kids just let their curiosity get the best of them, despite their parents' best efforts. I try to remember that...it makes me feel a bit less overwhelmed when someone (or someone's child) wants to stroke the babies' toes in Target

 

I think what bothered me the most was it was round # 4 and I had to say something before the mother FINALLY stepped in. she kept saying "gentle" like the kid had any idea what that ment.

Heather