An Open Rant to My Fellow Parents

Dear Fellow Parents, 

Babies are cute. I get it. So is your toddler. So cute. And it’s so sweet that they love babies. Adorable.

But could you please not let your fucking toddler grope my baby?

You’re a parent. You know what it’s like to feel the protective instinct over your young. To see every germ and every poke and every potential danger.  

So it’s hard not to notice your sweet little one crawl across the floor with their hands in their mouth as they make a beeline for my little helpless infant. Slobbery hands poking her face and eyes and rubbing her head like she’s scrubbing leftovers off the dishes. Her giant clumsy body trying to crawl in the car seat with my significantly smaller offspring. 

No. 

No she can not share her pacifier. No your one year old can not hold my infant. Or carry her around. Or sit in her bouncy seat with her. No. No. No. 

She can certainly come see the baby. But for god’s sake, teach her what is appropriate and what isn’t. Please. Teach her about germs. Teach her not to jab her hands in my baby’s eyes or nose or mouth or to poke her delicate head. Teach her to respect babies and parents by observing gently, by honoring space. Teach her. 

And if you don’t, know that I will. It’s just that simple. My own preschooler has been drilled time and again how to appropriately interact with her baby sibling. So if your curious toddler rolls up out of nowhere and is groping and poking and jabbing, know that I will correct them as if they were my own child. It will be gentle but it will be firm. Because this is non negotiable. This tiny human can’t defend herself, and as her mama it is my job to defend her space. And I will.

But it would be cool if I didn’t have to protect my child from yours. It would be cool if we all just learned to respect each other, no matter how big or small we are. 

So if your child invades our baby bubble, no need to be embarrassed. Kids are kids and they don’t know. Unless you stand there and watch and say nothing. Unless you ignore the teaching moment to instead brag about how cute it is that your toddler loves babies. Then you can be embarrassed. 

Seriously.