tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788067537879713934.post9137823288196278872..comments2023-10-31T03:50:03.037-04:00Comments on AUX PETITS OISEAUX: Too close for comfortclaudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640989046358711652noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788067537879713934.post-36680342523843470242011-12-14T14:16:50.160-05:002011-12-14T14:16:50.160-05:00As we traveled for Thanksgiving, one of the flight...As we traveled for Thanksgiving, one of the flight attendants patted Levi on the head every time she walked down the aisle of the plane. I thought that was very strange. Also strange--she kept referring to him as "she" and "her," even though Levi was dressed in an obvious "boy outfit."PJhttp://www.bunnyanddolly.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788067537879713934.post-42565502554280212232011-12-07T10:56:28.711-05:002011-12-07T10:56:28.711-05:00We just got back from vacation and I'm catchin...We just got back from vacation and I'm catching up on blogs, your question here totally applies to some of our vacation experiences. We went to Japan for our vacation - it was great fun with a toddler, we really enjoyed it! People were really fantastic and friendly and having a child along seemed to open people up to talking with us. Every once in a while though, I felt like this openness went too far. My son is blond, so he really stuck out in the areas we visited. I think he attracted a lot of attention in part because of his appearance. I was a little uncomfortable with how many times strangers took his photo. <br /><br />Two occasions really stuck out to me. In one case, he was running around in an open area, having fun. This group of mostly elderly women saw him and started following him around a bit. They got... well, too close to comfort for me and were kind of aggressive in wanting to take his photo and pat him on the head. Who knew elderly ladies could set off alarms? The second occasion was photo-related. We were on the train heading to Tokyo Narita airport. My son was a little grumpy (last day of vacation!) and I was trying to get him in a carrier to make it easier at the airport. This man turned around, smiled at us, gave us the thumbs up, and then proceeded to take a bunch of photos. I can't say exactly what bothered me, but it was the one time that I almost started shouting at someone to stop taking photos. <br /><br />Mostly though, the extra attention was nice and friendly and respectful. I can't count the number of conversations we had that never happened on our last trip to Japan. I think having a child along just bridged barriers to meeting other people. <br /><br />FWIW, here in the US, the homeless people we run into on our morning dog walks tend to be much more interested in the dog than in the toddler.Kim Uhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07748671388305986187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788067537879713934.post-34187283337134357852011-11-24T04:52:45.659-05:002011-11-24T04:52:45.659-05:00About a year ago, I was in our local bakery with B...About a year ago, I was in our local bakery with Boo, and an old man came over to say Hello to her, this doesn't normally bother me, old folk like babie's and toddlers, but this chap was stroking her cheek and there was just something "not right" about the whole debacle, for the first time ever as a parent, I had to ask him to please not touch my daughter. The man was really upset and offended, and Simon was so cross with me about that, but in that moment, the way he was touching my daughter and the words that accompanied his actions repulsed me, it didn't seem right or harmless, it felt wrong, and so I told him to stop. I still question whether I did the right thing, it wasn't nice to imagine I hurt his feelings or made him feel like a pervert, but I guess on reflection, I was just protecting my daughter.Hoola Tallulahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08329088395765574328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788067537879713934.post-84250081497993842852011-11-23T13:32:04.652-05:002011-11-23T13:32:04.652-05:00I also have issues with grand mothers holding/kiss...I also have issues with grand mothers holding/kissing/cuddling my baby. So weird... <br />It 's like they make me feel they thing he is theirs or something. <br />Strange thing!<br />But I find it very irritating when my mother in law holds him and dances with him. I get über jealous. <br /><br />Other than that, I am like you, super chill and relax about people touching my child. I don't think it's a problem. If anything, I find August being very social and not scarred of people (most of the time). I'd rather have a very social kid than a shy one.saranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788067537879713934.post-8928971388278990562011-11-22T15:51:23.861-05:002011-11-22T15:51:23.861-05:00After reading the above comments I feel SO much be...After reading the above comments I feel SO much better! It's nice to know I'm not entirely alone with my grandparent neuroses. I get completely defensive when my husband's one grandmother picks up Mia. Actually, she doesn't even have to pick her up; her mere presence makes my teeth itch. She's constantly giving her opinion about what I'm doing wrong; how I should hold her; how to burp her; how I'm spoiling her (really? picking her up when she starts to cry after waking from her nap is spoiling her? she's 4 months old!) Plus, since she's of the oldschool Italian mind, she thinks my 2 cats are plotting somehow to kill the baby, "You have to get rid of them. That's what cats do, you know? They kill babies." Really. Who knew?<br /><br />I get mildly protective when others do things that I know Mia doesn't like - or that I don't like. But for the most part, I'm pretty lax with the whole personal space thing. <br /><br />Here's something - Have you ever had an issue with people whistling at Alice to get her attention? It reminds me too much of how people summon their dogs, and for some reason it makes me angry to hear anyone whistle at a baby. Weird? Probably. I actually said "she's not a dog" to my father-in-law when he whistled at Mia once. He looked like I'd just slapped him in the face. My husband was not impressed, but I refused to apologize. <br /><br />As for the mouth kissing thing - I love to kiss Mia on the mouth. I too get "french kissed" from time to time, but I think it's adorable and she always giggles and gushes whenever I pull my face away all scrunched-up with a fake look of "eeeew" on it. I love the drool. It'll happen all too soon that I won't get kisses so easily and will be forced to walk 10 paces behind her at the mall when we go clothes shopping. *sigh* Until then, I'm happy to be puked on; peed on; drooled on and look like a total nerd if it makes her smile.gillianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02979568964443212678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788067537879713934.post-15720242910416375412011-11-22T10:23:00.382-05:002011-11-22T10:23:00.382-05:00Same here! I especially freak out when the grandpa...Same here! I especially freak out when the grandparents want to kiss her, touch her, hug her when she is in distress. It makes me want to scream ´leave her alone´. And I hate it that I have to remind the grandma several time NOT to kiss my daughter on the mouth. I wonder is it a space issue or a grandparents issue...Doriannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788067537879713934.post-13900087367983579142011-11-22T09:30:07.150-05:002011-11-22T09:30:07.150-05:00oh... i freak out, internally, every time one of t...oh... i freak out, internally, every time one of the grandmas holds james! i don't know what it is... maybe it's they way they act like they know better or, are excited to put him to sleep (even when i, specifically, ask them not to because i want to give him a bath). however, when a neighbor, the mildly crazy lady at the grocery store, a friend, or, my 7 year old neice holds him... i'm totally fine! weird... right? <br />i, clearly, have space issues... but, weird ones.<br />i, too, love giving the babe kisses on his little mouth (often, he opens his mouth and i get slobbered on!) as does his papa! we let james sleep in the bed for the second half of the night and, usually, he and i are sleeping nose to nose... we both love this!<br />anyway... i could rattle on... <br />thanks for creating this post... i think about my issues with space and james's space often!tiffany...https://www.blogger.com/profile/01877141796749739278noreply@blogger.com