I've tweeted, snapped, and posted on IG about this particular topic but it still happens so why not blog about it too?
Why can't people keep their hands to themselves? When did it become acceptable for total strangers to come up to your children and touch them on their hands and face? The biggest offenders are older women who more than likely have children of their own. We all know that germs can pose a serious threat for a young child. The fastest way for them to get sick is via their hands and face. So why are strangers touching people's children without regard for this?
This happens to me and my children often. We can be out in public just minding our own business when out of nowhere here comes some random stranger that we don't know approaching us. It starts off with a nice compliment about my children's looks and then they follow that up with either touching my child's hand or caressing their check. I've even had an older woman or two try to kiss my children.
When I correct this behavior by simply asking them not to touch my children I get a look of shock, disbelief, and like I offended them. How dare I ask them, total stranger not to physically touch my child?
This should go without saying but if you don't know someone you don't touch them in any form or fashion if they did not ask or invite you to. I'm not sure if this is a generational thing, gender, or race/cultural thing. What I have noticed is almost every single time it's the same type of person, a white female between the ages of 40-70. I don't mind the compliments but I do mind the touching. My kids are not in daycare so they are not exposed to as many germs as your average child would be so their immune systems are also not as strong as some of those other kids.
If you've have kids of your own or have been around very young kids you know that they love to put their hands in their mouths and their face is a gateway for germs. If I don't know you then I don't know how you are when it comes to your personal hygiene habits so all I have is personal interactions with other people to base how clean you might be. From working in an accounting department for many years with many different women my experience with hygiene isn't a great one. I've seen one too many women not wash their hands after using the shared restroom. One too many women who sneeze or cough all in their hands and proceed to touch every thing and one around them.
Aside from the germs you are a stranger. Me nor my children know you. Learn personal boundaries! Since you are a stranger I don't know if you just want to say hi or snatch and run. When it comes to my children everyone from the two year old to the 82 year old is a possible threat to my child. Don't tell me a two year old is not a threat when there are two year old kids out here biting, hitting, scratching, and exposing germs/illness to other kids.
The point of this post is, though your intentions might be good if you don't know a person stick with just a compliment and keep your hands off other people's children.
