Every time someone touches one of my children I want to say, “Hey keep your filthy paws of my kid!” I do realize that sounds a bit “stank.” But, I can’t stand it when people feel the need to put their hands on my child’s face or hair.
I should preface my saying that there are exceptions to the rule. For instance, hugs and kisses from close family members and friends are okay – provided they don’t kiss them on the lips, of course. As far as anyone running their fingers through my kids’ hair, that’s not ok. Princess and I recently had a uncomfortable encounter in which a lady couldn’t keep her hands off. Here’s a play by of the awkward situation.
Princess will be attending kindergarten next year, and we’re in the process of choosing a school. Since our district performs below state standards, we’ve decided that private school would be the best option. I heard great things about a particular private school in the area, and made an appointment for a tour.
With minutes of our visit, I noticed that the administrator kept touching Princess’s hair. I counted in my head about four times in less than a minute. Each stroke, I grew more and more agitated.
Random questions began popping up in my head. Do I tell her to keep her filthy paws of my kid? Do I just stay silent and pray for it to stop? Before I could say anything the woman went from touching Princess’s hair to cupping her face. By this time, I could feel steam shooting out of my ears. She had been explaining the school’s music program, and I couldn’t take it anymore. I interrupted her mid-sentence, put my hand up between my daughter’s face and the woman’s hand and said, “I’m sorry, could you not do that. I have a problems with germs.” It was hard to get through this awkward moment, but I managed to escape the best way I knew how – I quickly changed the subject by refocusing our attention on the music program.
I do realize that not everyone would have handled the situation this way. Some may feel I was a bit harsh. I could have just kept silence and allowed this woman to continue to violate my child’s personal space. But, I couldn’t do it. As parents, we are our children’s advocate. I feel like staying quiet would mean that it’s okay. I teach my daughter about the importance of respecting people’s personal space with the hope that if she’s ever in a situation where she’s uncomfortable, then she’ll have the confidence to speak up. Kids learn by example. I’ve always believed that people treat you according to how you allow them to treat you. I do understand that stroking a child’s hair or caressing a child’s face could be interpreted as a form of affection. But not always, and certainly not if you’re a stranger. We’ve never met this woman before. She had been touching her keys, coughing, and then putting her filthy hands on my kid. There was no way I was going to stand by and do nothing.
How do you feel about people touching your child?