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Hey, baaaaaaby. By the lovely Grace Farris.
P.S. Parenting teens and spring reading.
42 COMMENTS
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It’s not our fault for wanting to hold them when you guys have those babies dressed up and looking so cute in Target.
Yes yes yes! I get to be the mom with a baby at the grocery store right now and I feel like bringing him is my secret little gift to the other shoppers. Like — yes, please do enjoy this delicious little guy and validate my opinion that he’s the cutest thing to ever exist. AND it’s an opportunity to have tiny little social interactions in a season of life where I feel like all I do is go to work and come home to squeeze as much baby time in as I can (and fold laundry and meal prep and and and….)
As another Elizabeth who seems to be in the exact same stage of life – I felt this hard! Bonus points to the cashiers who see my baby coming and do a big theatrical wave!
Mom of a twelve month old here. Anyone who stops and smiles at my little guy makes my life 100% easier. Don’t hold back. The more enthusiasm the better.
I have always been a baby magnet and when all my friends and family were having babies I was dubbed the “baby whisperer.” Just today at Trader Joe’s there was the cutest strawberry blonde, soft ringlets, beanie headed baby – trapped in the shopping cart seat as Dad was lost in his phone. Baby kept saying, “go, go, go, go!” And I could’t help but smile as I passed by, Dad completely missing his sweet babies urges (and yes you had to speak baby to understand the, “go, go, go, go!”
ok but don’t judge dad too hard for being lost in his phone. One thing about being a parent is that you’re never not multi-tasking, and often you’re mutli-multi-multi tasking
Ok, I’m the odd one out here. Babies kind of scare me. I never babysat, don’t have my own children, never had young cousins, and I’ve only held a baby I think twice in my life. I just don’t know what to do or how to act! What do they like? Am I doing it right? Do I make a face, smile, go goo-goo ga-ga? I’m just so nervous around them! Sure, they’re cute, but I’ll be over here, looking from a distance! (Now, dogs… I get that! Sooooo cute. Lol.)
Cats for me, rather than dogs, but other than that I’m 100% with you. The weird thing is that babies seem to like me! I think because I have quite wild, curly hair that attracts their attention. It’s not that I don’t like babies, but I worry that if I smile at them wrong or fuss over them, they might suddenly burst out crying and then their parents would be mad at me.
I have a tendency to focus on dogs, but earlier today? A teeny-tiny toddler in pigtails and light-up sneakers blew me a kiss. In that moment, the floofiest of puppies could have passed right in front of me, and I wouldn’t even have noticed.
If all these women offering to hold all the babies and compliment the mamas could congregate at my local Trader Joe’s tomorrow at 8AM (or better yet, my next family vacation!), I have a set of Irish twins (22 months and 10 months) that you are welcome to hold and entertain 🤣 – Signed, A Grateful Mama Who Is Also Very Tired
Now that my kiddo is a teenager (!!!), I always offer to hold the baby at any social gathering, because I remember how difficult it was when you couldn’t put the baby down and wanted a break! I will always hold the baby, haha.
When my now-16-year-old was a just-talking baby (12-18 months?), she would perform this hilarious greeting to strangers as we made our way through the grocery store: She would look at a stranger from her perch in the cart and gently say, “Hi!” If the stranger didn’t reply, she would say it louder: “HI!” And if the stranger still didn’t reply, she would lean their direction and yell, “HIIIIIIII!” This usually got a response (and a smile). Better still, if we were walking the opposite direction down the aisle from the stranger and then we both turned down the NEXT aisle from opposite sides, the ritual would begin again with the same person, as if my daughter hadn’t just hollered her greeting to them 30 seconds before. So sorry to all the introverts who just kept having to talk to a cute and chatty baby 15 years ago in Denver-area grocery stores! 😉🤣
This is so sweet, Hilary! I love it!
I’m intrigued to know if she’s still this extroverted? I’ve got one of these and I’m so curious to know if this is his personality or not!
Babies always stare at me in public places. I wave and smile back. 🙂 I work with toddlers and they just seem to be drawn to me. When there’s a little one having a meltdown , it hurts my heart. I try and read the Mom’s face to see if she’s okay with me trying to calm or redirect the little one’s attention. 👶🏻 💛
I love to wave and smile at toddlers and I love when they yell ”Hi’ to me. It makes my day.
SO TRUE!!
Same…and also all dogs…
Yes, yes, and yes, Amy! I am a sucker for every baby and all dogs.
Riiight? Tiny humans are lovely, but this instantly reminded me of the Australian Shepherd brothers that I couldn’t help but make eyes at on my way out of the coffee shop this afternoon!
I don’t have kids but I love waving at babies and making silly faces back. They’re so new!
I ran into a parent of one of my kid’s friends at a crowded multi-school sports event. He was standing next to a woman holding a baby. The conversation went: “Hiya! (Very quick small talk). Who’s the baby?!?”
Shrug (they didn’t know each other).
It felt like a bar scene where I was desperate to be introduced to the cute friend—but it was a baby being held by his (now nervously laughing mother).
Then I said, “bummer. I was hoping to hold that baby.” And then could not believe I’d let myself act so bonkers! The magic spell of cuties with giant eyes and feety jams!
Stranger babies love me. I can’t tell you how many times a baby has spotted me from across Target or Costco and just been enthralled to the point of leaning around their parent to smile at me. My face must be hella symmetrical.
How about the time I was in the grocery store with 3 young children (now teens) – they were probably 2, 3, and 5 – I was so stressed and trying to get through the store and they were fighting, and a lady tapped me on the shoulder while I was trying to check out my yogurt options. “That one just threw up.” And she walked away! Then I was wiping throw up off the grocery store floor with baby wipes with a full grocery cart and 3 cranky kids. Ha! Hilarious story to me now, but I don’t know how I didn’t plop myself down and cry!
Totally feel the pain you would have felt. I was VERY heavily pregnant with my second child, heading to work for my last day before taking maternity leave. Had my five year old in tow, stopped at a grocery store to purchase some things for work, walking to the car my son vomits everywhere. Not one person stopped to help.
Omg Millie I relate to this sooo much lol!!
Love sweet comments, just please don’t touch without asking. My germ anxiety couldn’t handle that.
My favorite thing was when people would say “you’re doing great, mom!” Thank you, stranger!
THIS is 100% my husband. Oldest of six, cared for his sibs. Worked until he was 70 because of kids. Retired and now is a public school crossing guard-kids! Always smiles at children when they cross our path (market, movies, park). Sometimes I wonder if he freaks other adults out as he gladly, quickly interacts but no one has ever asked him to stop.
He sounds like such a lovely man! I’m so glad to hear that no one has registered his interpersonal skills as anything other than an asset to the community!
I absolutely LOVE it when strangers tell me (or mutter under their breath) how cute my 5 month old baby is. It makes the winter outfit dressup and going outside hustle and bustle worth it and more. :)
Babies and young children always stare and smile at my husband, and it warms my heart when he smiles and interacts with them. He jokingly says its because he looks like a clown, but I remind him that most kids are terrified of clowns and that I think its because they sense his kind heart. :) Babies are so intuitive!
So I’m not such a creepy weirdo?!
We’ll be in good company either way!
I used to be a teacher but now I’m working at Trader Joe’s. I get so excited when a baby or little one comes through my check out lane. Honestly, sometimes I’ll hurry through a transaction so I can get the family before someone takes them from my line haha I just love the little kids!
Aww, I love the way Trader Joe’s checkout clerks are kind and patient with my kids who “help.” The most exciting was when a clerk offered to let them scan some items!!
(I also really appreciate when clerks ask me before offering lollipops to my kids…at 9 AM)
Ok, this feels weird to admit, but I do exactly this and then my eyes tear up? I just love babies and kids and saying nice things to strangers. Going to earmark this for therapy…
I don’t think you need to worry about therapy! I always enjoy it when people tell me my daughter is cute! And it’s lovely that you like saying nice things to strangers:) The world could use more of this right now.
I sincerely hope I run into you at the grocery store next time I’m there and feeling self conscious while solo parenting my toddler and trying to keep it all together! Kind words and sweet acknowledgements of my child make my day in those moments.
Not weird. Ok, maybe it is but I can get a bit weepy seeing babies, littles and pregnant parents too! I see all those humans as hopeful and it is such a glorious thing. Maybe it is perimenopause, my feelings seem so close to the surface and so BIG. Almost like a regression toward toddlerhood and infancy where you just gotta let it out. Don’t ever by shy about letting a few tears roll, you wonderful, hopeful human.
This sounds warm and beautiful to me. As Julie said, the world needs more of this.
That’s me, totally!
I feel like to my core, I do not trust people who don’t smile or wave at babies and toddlers – there is something seriously wrong with such people – I mean, they are so new in this world and so cute! The other day while on our honeymoon having lunch, this little toddler was smiling/waving the whole time at my husband and it was adorable to see the two of them interact- it’s flattering when a child can sense you have a kind, warm presence, isn’t it?!
JAK, some people stopped smiling or talking to kids because of the weird looks from parents. I love to smile, wave and talk to kids and for a while I stopped because I was getting these ugly stares from parents and then I decided that I wouldn’t let them control my behavior and that I would continue to be who I
was. I can somewhat understand that parents are leery of strangers but I see it as unhealthy fear bordering on paranoia.
Yvonne – I’m curious if you’ve had kids and experienced the hyper vigilance that kicks in when you bring a baby home and suddenly realize that whether they survive depends on you. I think I learned once that mothers’ hormones make them this way and it helped our species survive. It’s been bad enough I think I can say I’ve had post partum anxiety most times after I’ve had a baby. So yes, I agree that sometimes it reaches unhealthy levels, but we can’t help it! My fears were never about strangers, actually, so I would have welcomed your friendly interactions, but I definitely had unhealthy fears about other things.
My husband told me I have to stop asking strangers if they need me to hold their baby. I can’t help it! My babies are bigger now and I miss that soft baby skin!
You absolutely do not need to stop! I just had a woman ask me in the Y locker room while I was trying to change out of a wet swimsuit with a one-year-old, and it was the kindest and most appreciated gesture (and incredibly helpful!)
yes! My circle of friends does not include babies and oh how I’d love to hold a squishy 8 month old again. Like, do I need to take airplane trips just for the chance to help a desperate parent? :-)
I love it when people tell me how adorable my baby is! Not so much the lady in the grocery store who upon hearing my son’s funny noises said he sounded like he was possessed. But it’s a very funny story!
When my now-teenager was very small, maybe 18 months old, he was riding in our shopping cart in the grocery store and a lady leaned over to say hello, getting *very* close to his face. He blinked and pulled back in surprise … a normal reflex when someone gets in your personal space, I thought. But she turned to me and said “Your baby isn’t very nice!”
Ummmmmm, OKAY, lady. (And it is a funny story now!)
As the mother of teenagers I have started doing this. But I also stare at my teens – they are beautiful to me.
As the pregnant parent of a toddler I ask you, please don’t play it cool! I love it when people acknowledge my cute baby in public, and often it’s a good reminder for me to not get so caught up in the hard work of it all that I miss seeing the soft cheeks and smiling eyes staring up at me from the grocery cart.
Totally agree! Playing it cool is overrated. I vividly remember people saying sweet things about my son and it makes me feel part of a wider community and less isolated.
“Playing it cool is overrated”. My favourite new line.
Agree! I could do grocery pickup, but I choose to bring my kids into the store because it’s a fun way for all of us to socialize. I want every person to wave at my baby and make conversation with my older girls. We love it! (except for the lady who asked my 3yo if she has a boyfriend, she can keep her questions to herself)
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