Why do strangers think it's okay to touch my toddler?
Strangers and workers often pet or physically interact with toddlers without asking, leaving parents feeling uncomfortable and protective. This unexpected physical contact happens so fast that parents struggle to stop it in time.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Allowing fist bumps or high fives only if the child consentsDid this help you?
- 2Blocking or stopping people quickly before they can touch the childDid this help you?
- 3Limiting physical interaction strictly to non-touch gestures like high fivesDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Don't want people touching my kiddo, or me for that matter”source ↗
“I'm okay with a fist bump but I am super weirded out by people who try to pet my toddler on the head, sometimes faster than I can stop them.”source ↗
“Yeah no that is weird to me lol don’t pet my dog or my kids .. atleast ask about the dog 🤣”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 17How to get strangers to stop petting your dog without asking
- 4Strangers taking pictures and passing notes to my child
- 4Relatives grabbing baby out of my arms
- 4People running up to bark at or charge my dog in public
- 4Why does my toddler interrupt every time I talk to someone?
- 3What to say when family makes comments about a baby's size or looks