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.
- 1Allowing fist bumps or high fives only if the child consents
- 2Blocking or stopping people quickly before they can touch the child
- 3Limiting physical interaction strictly to non-touch gestures like high fives
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
- 7How to get strangers to stop petting your dog without asking
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- 4How to stop being too overbearing in my child's relationships
- 6How to handle toddler hitting in public
- 3How to get a toddler to stop pinching while nursing
- 3How to stop hallway distractions when door windows can't be covered