Comments on: Hand Your Baby To A Stranger – What Would You Do?

By: admin

admin — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:05:21 +0000

Christine, I’ve thought about it. Why? Because where would I put the baby? On a dirty, nasty, covered in who knows what floor? I don’t have a stroller with me all the time, especially in situations such as this mother’s where she was traveling. Generally my baby is in my arms, which makes unbuttoning and pulling down pants rather awkward.

I’m curious how many who commented here negatively clicked over and read the entire thing?

By: Randi

Randi — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:37:08 +0000

I definitely do not agree with a mother handing her child over to a complete stranger just so she could use the bathroom. Infants aren’t supposed to be convenient, but they do need to be protected and should never be handed over to someone who is unknown to both mother and child!

By: Christine

Christine — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:39:07 +0000

Why would you even think about NOT taking the baby with you into the bathroom? I didn’t understand that situation at all. LOL. I think the whole “free range” thing is a bit on the crazy side, but I’m not an attachment parenting type either. I’m somewhere in between, way more natural is how I see it. There’s just no reason to hand the baby to anyone just to go to the restroom.

By: Lauren

Lauren — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:38:56 +0000

I couldn’t do it. My anxiety would get the best of me. There are other options – stroller, carrier, baby sling. However, if a mom asked me to watch their baby for a minute, I would absolutely be comfortable doing that, and would not judge her for it. I just personally wouldn’t be able to do it.

By: Lynn

Lynn — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:00:31 +0000

When my son was an infant he had an explosive poop that went all the way up his back at a resturant when I was traveling across the state with my two kids by myself. When I discovered it in the restroom, along with the fact that I left a change of clothes for him out in my car. I left him with a woman in the bathroom. I have recieved raised eyebrows and judgement in sharing that story, but sometimes you just have to do what you have to do.

By: Melodie

Melodie — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:56:56 +0000

I don’t think I would have handed my baby over to a stranger because that’s just not the world we live in. Kudos to the mom who did it though. 99.9% of the population wouldn’t take a baby and think “Gee, I think I’m going to run right out of here now and toss this baby in my car and drive away and it’s all that stupid mom’s fault!” No. Most people would take the baby with a smile and sit there holding it freaking out about the possibility of the mom wondering if said stranger would do that. No one trusts each other anymore. It shouldn’t be like that, but sadly I think it is.

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:18:38 +0000

I echo Annie’s sentiments exactly. I would likely bring my baby with me…mostly because I know she would cry if handed off to a stranger.

By: Corinne @ Have Baby Will Travel

Corinne @ Have Baby Will Travel — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:13:28 +0000

What Annie said.

Plus, Starbucks bathrooms are usually big enough to accomodate a stroller – at least the wheelchair accessible ones are…

By: kblogger

kblogger — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:11:09 +0000

I can’t imagine an everyday situation where I’d leave my infant with a stranger – I’d either be wearing them or they’d be asleep in the carseat carrier, which you can certainly carry into a bathroom.

Sure, it can be inconvenient to bring a young child into a public bathroom because you don’t want them to touch anything – but an infant? It’s just not that difficult.

I don’t think this has anything to do with not letting your child be free. Freedom to me means freedom for the child to make their choice – but an infant doesn’t get a choice in the above scenario; they aren’t even able to move themselves, let alone make a choice of who they’d like to be with while mom is in the bathroom – and I’d submit if they were given that choice, an infant would choose her mother over all.

Additionally, I’ll second what Annie said above, there’s no way either of my children would have been okay with me just handing them over to a stranger.

By: Annie @ PhD in Parenting

Annie @ PhD in Parenting — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:02:01 +0000

I probably would not have left my baby with a stranger, because I know that both of my kids would have panicked in that situation. They were both very attached to mom and very wary of strangers. I wouldn’t be scared of a stranger hurting or taking off with my baby. However, I wouldn’t want my child to be scared and feeling abandoned.

That’s why I usually wore my baby in a sling and got quite skilled at using the facilities while baby wearing.