foreigngirl

I have a cute baby girl (7.5 months now). Yes, she is very cute. Big blue eyes, a touch of white blonde hair and tiny, tiny feet that are always sticking out of the stroller/pram. Ever since she's been sitting in the stroller (so since around 4 months old), I've had strangers come up saying 'Oh, she's so cute, so adorable, etc', which obviously is very nice, but then...they would touch her. They touch her feet, touch her cheeks, touch her head. She's a very sociable baby, so she smiles, and then they touch her more. I really don't know what to say or do. The other day, I was at the doctor's office and a bloke came up to her and touched her cheek. When he was gone, another lady came up asking, 'Do you know that guy?'. When I said 'No', she said I should never ever let strangers touch my baby. I asked her 'Well, what am I supposed to say?', and she said 'I don't know'. Well, that's not helpful. I'm afraid of saying anything as there are lots of weirdos around here and I really don't want to make anyone angry. On the other hand, I really don't want strangers touching my baby.
What should I do?

Greenhill

Find hugs and make more children.

Dorothy

If you don't want people touching your baby tell them you don't want them touching your baby. Simple, really.

Mikeypm

Shard

In general I would say no people don't touch a baby they don't know.

Sally Redux

Just enjoy the time, they soon grow up.

pdarwin

Just say to them, "Be careful - the baby has [insert name of hideous skin disease here], so best not to touch"

happyhammers

To answer your question, Do strangers touch your babies in the UK, then no, they dont.I would be very suspicious if they tried,especially if its a bloke
To tell you the truth with the way I come across I dont recall anyone approaching me when I was pushing her about in her buggy.
Just come across firm but fair,it usually works, I wouldnt worry about upsetting people. It would bug me more if I did not do something.

Excuse me, but do you mind not touching my kid, but dont smile when you say it.
I suppose its easy when you look like your going to put one on them, and then, it could be an old lady in a purple rinse like my late nan who wouldnt hurt a fly so thats a bit different. lol

caretaker

Should be easy enough to train a baby to spit at strangers...

Souvy

That would work

My missus did something similar yesterday. She had to go to a laundromat (king-size duvet). Some bloke started chatting her up. Not unusual because she's an attractive woman. Part of the conversation went like this.

"And what do you do for a living?"
"I'm a public servant"
"Have you always done that?"
"No. I was a soldier for 23 years. I'm trained to kill people"

Apparently the chatting-up then stopped.

DandNHill

When my youngest was a baby, we had a dodgy pub in the UK. The drunkards would come in for a pint or ten and then approach baby and put a grubby £1 coin in his tiny hand. The intention was kind but the germs were unimaginable... That being said he's 9 years old so he did survive those times!

BristolUK

Perhaps foreigngirl should take these two with her.

BristolUK

Was there any change?

caretaker

At a friend's wedding the bride's young son was a ring bearer and at the reception afterwards he sat up on the bar and chatted merrily with everyone who came up to get drinks. It wasn't until a couple of days later when they were going to return the rented tuxedos they found over $200 in assorted bills and change jammed into his pockets, (back then about 2 weeks wages).

Gozit

Gender bias! Theres nothing that says a "stranger" woman can be any less harmful that a "stranger" man.