I ask them if they would like a hand. I'm a sucker for a baby crying and my first instinct is to give them a cuddle or try pull funny faces (depending on age).
I look like a complete nutter at times because I'm the women that stands behind you talking to your screaming child playing picka boo usually settled them. I also do it to the quiet ones.
I would offer help, but not specify - then the parent can select baby holding/grocery stuff. If I see a slightly frazzled parent trying to dash a shop, running to and from the trolley, with a baby/toddler who is starting to get bored at the supermarket I will stop and talk to the little one for a minute. I find that a bit of attention will give the parents an extra 5-10 minutes before the child gets really cross. But I wouldn't pick up a child without permission. If the parent is really relaxed with a baby I will ask if I can admire the baby for a minute too, I just like babies!
I have had people make rude comments to me, when stood behind me in a queue, because I didn't have 10 hands and Liebling wanted holding. I really wish I had thanked them for all their help... oh wait. Never mind, didn't happen after I'd thought of what to say. I'll just keep the line for if anyone does it with Stormageddon.
I would rather people give a sooky Liebling back to me, because he didn't really do sooky - he did happy (laughing and smiling), 10-20 seconds of "hang on a minute, not happy", then full-on screaming. And it was usually because he wanted me, he really did the separation anxiety thing in a big way. So I'll ask the baby "are you all right or do you need Mamma back" if I'm holding one who starts sooking, then the parent can answer for the baby!
yes, why do strangers touch the kids?
I have had people ask me, wow are her curls real? wth?! she is 15mth you think you could/would perm a babys hair?
I can spot hands coming and move away 75% of the time but it makes you look like a b****.
and people pull out her dummy. that drives her and me crazy lol
Double trouble- WTF!? As if you'd pull out a kids dummy!
ETA- I don't mind peole asking to cuddle my son or help out. That's fine. Welcome even. It just irks me that they think they can just touch him as they walk past. Especially as they almost always ruffle his hair and make it even harder to brush than it already is.
ikr! but some people find it funny. 2people have asked me why she has a dummy and when I explain it helps with her reflux they back off.
sorry, didn't mean to hijack.
back ot. ds2 use to call the shop attendants over to play with while mummy was shopping lol
In answer to the original question I would offer to unpack or do the groceries - but if she wanted me to take the baby I would happily do so
To touch on the subject of people handling and touching my baby I am somewhat used to it. We live in an area of Brisbane that has a high Asian population and my son being blonde hair, blue eyed, huge dimples in his cheeks and a little bit chunky just gets everyone's attention. They love touching his hair and chatting to him...it's like he is a little celebrity. At first I found it weird and then I realised that they want to be friendly - so now I don't mind. In fact, I get a little sense of pride after all - he is gorgeous in my eyes.
A few years ago, I would have offered to hold bubs in a heart beat. I love babies, and frequently would ask for a cuddle of random children around the place - I grew up in a big church, and have played with the babies of long term family friends through to vague acquaintences and complete strangers, and would apply the same principle elsewhere ... waiting rooms, the train, etc, and you'd be surprised how often absolute strangers will let you cuddle their baby for a few minutes (not wandering down the street - but somewhere you're there, standing or sitting for a little while ...).
More recently (probably after being on BB for a while, and gathering that some people are NOT of the mindset that one plays with a stranger's baby ... or rather, one does not pass over one's baby to a complete stranger) I would either offer to put the groceries through, or make offers for both, and let the parent say which (if either!) they would prefer.
I still love babies, and at a party or church or a friend's place or another venue where it's likely to be an acceptable thing, I'll still often ask for (and receive) a cuddle, but with an absolute stranger in a stressed or stressful situation, I'd give them the choice.
Oh wow. I offer to hold people's kids all the time. Rouge will attest to me going somewhere and ending up carrying someone else's kid for hours.
I do it even if they're not upset. The parents are having dinner and baby is making goo-goo eyes at me? I say 'Naw, he/she is gorgoues! is he/she good with people he/she doesn't know? Does he/she go to anyone?'
Funny thing is, most times people are pretty happy to hand baby over to me. Even you PZ :P . Or maybe I'm so thick skinned I don't even notice if someone didn't want me to pick up their child. o_O
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after all - he is gorgeous in my eyes.
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