[blparent] Stranger danger

[Bridgit Pollpeter]

I suppose all parents are concerned with their child being confronted by
strangers. I think it's a natural instinct. We keep pretty close tabs on
Pen, at least as much as we can. Today, for instance, we were at the
mall, and while at the play area, Ross was the only parent up in the
actual playground following Pen. It's more difficult for anyone to
approach her without our knowledge this way. A older girl actually tried
pushing her off a ledge by a slide, but Ross was there, thankfully. We
left shortly after this.

To my knowledge, no one has approached or spoke to Pen without us
knowing. They may smile at her and say how cute or something, but they
also will speak to us, usually asking questions about her. I can tell
when she's smiling sometimes, and I can tell when she's waving, which
usually indicates she's interacting with someone. When I know a person
is interacting with her, I often make the first move and speak to them.
This just opens the door should anyone feel awkward or shy around me.

At the mall today, also, a sales clerk said hello to Pen, then asked us
if she could have a mint. They were from a dish for customers so we said
yes, although she's still learning that hard candy like mints goes into
the mouth and not to be held onto like a lollipop. We ended up with a
sticky mess! Thank god for baby wipes! LOL

Most the time, it's not our fault and just peoples ignorance, but the
more confident we are, the more respect we experience, at least this is
my experience. Unless a person is grossly inappropriate, though, it
doesn't bother me much if people interact with Pen. Of course, I don't
know what a person is doing ten feet away, but one hopes others in a
situation would speak up should a person be inappropriate, though I
don't have much confidence in human behavior to trust this. Smirk.
Ultimately, if we decide to have children, we have to be prepared for
anything, and we have to determine our own comfort level in social
settings, and if we are not, we can choose to not participate in things.
Of course something like taking the bus isn't exactly an option for many
of us, but other things are. And don't be afraid to speak up if
something really bothers you. Who cares what others think? It's your
child; you get to speak up when things bother you or your child.

Sincerely,
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
Read my blog at:
http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/
 
"History is not what happened; history is what was written down."
The Expected One- Kathleen McGowan