Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire PSA: Old People That Talk to Children They Don't Know

now we have an adorable little granddaughter and I'm not sure I'll feel the same way if some stranger comes up and paws on her.

What's been obvious in this thread is there has been many state that they feel they possess some sort of right of entitlement for engaging random children in public places.

What's been absent is current parents of minor children stating that it's perfectly OK for random people to engage their children in conversation any time, any place.

The sense of entitlement amongst the elderly is epidemic...

Not just in this either.

You know, if your PSA had gone along the lines of "If someone asks you not to talk to their child, just comply" you'd probably have had 100% buy in. It's understandable that everyone has different parenting styles/methods/philosophies.

As is, well it's worth exactly what we paid for it...

I don't have a horse in this race, I don't approach others children nor have children that are approached.

But I might have an idea as to why the OP responds so aggressively.

I have had residences in Florida for most of my life, almost 20% of Florida's population is composed of retirees. Most probably have grand children some where.
A lot of these old f's are lonely and bored, getting out in public could easily be some of the only human interaction some get.

I see it when I shop and really just about anywhere you go here.
Old f's approaching children...all the time...I mean with almost epidemic regularity.
Babies are like old f magnets but any kid 12 and under is potential prey.

It's often "you remind me of my grand son" or isn't she cute, look at that hair, as they reach out to touch.

This crap is cringie at best in most all of these situations.

I see it handled in different ways, most often a luke-warm to cold smile, maybe a verbal acknowledgment but in short the accompanying parent blow's these old f's off as quickly as possible. You can always tell it isn't the first time for the kid and sure as hell isn't gonna be the last.

I really feel for the kids involved at times, you see them look at their parent with that special "save me it's happening again" look in their eyes.

It's not OK, and it's getting more not OK everyday.

If you are one of these types you need to try and limit it to a smile and a wink and be on your way when the over whelming desire comes upon you.

I can't say this odd activity has ever stood out to me anywhere other than here in Florida.
I'm sure it's just due to the frequency of seeing it happen here.

With the OP and his family being recent transplants to the retirement capital of the world here I think I get it...being it's such a regular occurrence here it could be like "culture shock" of sorts for a guy with kids....




Dressing your kids more appropriately when they head out in public could slow the roll...hint.....





f=folks

Which brings us to my PSA.

You're welcome.

Should've called it something else. Old women are basically harmless and if you say "PSA" to an old man he'll be thinking you mean something entirely different.

I seem to remember my Grandparents generation "The Greatest" didn't really pay any attention to other kids that weren't their blood or those that were family friends when I was around them. Other than the passing your baby is so cute from my Grandmothers. My Grandfathers couldn't have careless about other kids and seems kind of annoyed by them whenever I was with them out in public usually at the hardware store or lumber yard.

i never had kids myself, but i raised two stepdaughters, and a son. and about nine grandkids, and three or four great grandkids.
i have a five year old great grandson flying in tomorrow with his dad, who i both consider a grandson, and son, long story.
we will be out and about. I have been paranoid forever about their safety. I remember one of the granddaughters as we were 4wheeling one day i was talking about running wild as a kid in the county, no body thought it odd. She said she wished she could have done that too.
My comment was society was a lot different today than in the small area i grew up in where everybody knew each other. surely there were predators in my time as a kid, but if they were found out, they probably would have been dead.

I don't talk to kids not of the clan. Mostly i can't stand the screaming little brats. And i grew up with the thing kids are seen, not heard.
But i think i would have my radar go on high alert if anyone approached one of the youngins to endulge them in conversation without asking.
my five year old great grandson is to me a super good looking kid. Now i am gonna have to be thinking about this thread as we are out in public. Net reaction is i don't think i would think much of anyone male or female getting to friendly.
times are different than when i grew up.
People are odd about their kids. I remember a few years ago driving down the street from my house, a little girle still in diapers playing basically
in the gutter along the sidewalk, no adults present, and thinking My God, where are they?
I would rather be overprotective than the other way.

Imagine, an opportunity to teach a child respect for his elders and the boundaries of acceptable discourse within a public sphere. And then using that opportunity to tell someone to “...[bleep] off.”

My observation is that the ratio of jerks and misfits in the parental population is far, far higher than the ratio of dangerous and difficult folks in the population over 65 years of age. Noting the above post, in any particular case the encounter between a little kid and an elderly person could be the most positive thing that happened for that kid - and the parents - that day. Old folks have no entitlements beyond those of other folks, and certainly are not entitled to engage little kids without acceptance by the kids' parents. It certainly seems that some important social concepts have been weakened or lost during the past 30 or 40 years, and some posts here reflect such loss.

If you never had any kids yourself How the hell did you have grandkids and great grandkids ?

This was the basic attitude to other peoples children when I was growing up.