Monday, September 24, 2007

Taking Candy From Strangers

Buddy is not typically shy. Never has been. However, we were in an elevator at the mall the other day and a large man started talking with Buddy. The man was talking really loud and aggressively. He was nice, but he was just a little much for Buddy. It was obvious Buddy was a little uneasy, so when we got off the elevator, he offered Buddy a piece of candy and then proceeded to unwrap it and hand it to him. Of course, Buddy took the candy and all shyness quickly vanished.

Seriously, was this man born yesterday? Who thinks it's OK to offer candy to kids? What.the.hell?

I went into panic-mode. I did NOT feel comfortable with my son taking candy from him, but I really couldn't think of a polite way of declining. So, I let him eat it. When we walked away I tried to explain that kids should never take candy from people they don't know.

Funny thing, moments before the man offered Buddy the candy, the two of us had been discussing Halloween costumes. You know, that holiday when you take candy from strangers. Seriously, I just can't win. I quickly backpedaled and tried to explain that normally we don't take candy from strangers. Except on Halloween OR when mommy is too shy to tell the stranger that they can keep their own darn candy.

What would you have done?

1 comment:

StrykerLOVE said...

the same as you - its such a conumdrum - like the time this grabby woman picked jack right out of the shopping cart or another time another woman pulled sophie from my arms (well that time i was more grateful then mama bear since i was in the bathroom trying to figure out how to pee and hold a squirmy baby the same time) but still ... visions of conversations of trying to explain to police/husband play through your head in conflict with that rigid young woman-y desire to be proper and polite to the world around you!