A mom on TikTok is sharing a story that left her feeling concerned. In the video, she detailed an encounter she had with a stranger while shopping with her two young children. The stranger tickled the woman's daughter, and then reacted poorly when the toddler voiced her discomfort. And now the mom is concerned about the whole interaction.
More from Mom.com: ‘Nasty’ Grandma Complains About 3-Year-Old Granddaughter, Says She’s ‘Dreading’ Her Visit
The mom wanted to know if she was in the wrong
TikTok mom Alysse Gilbert told the story and asked her followers if she overreacted.
"Please tell me if I was wrong," Gilbert started before explaining that she had been shopping at Trader Joe's with her infant and toddler. The toddler was in the cart when an older woman they didn't know told her how cute she is. Gilbert said she thanked the woman and they kept going.
The woman made the toddler feel uncomfortable while they shopped
"Then, we see her in the next aisle. I can see out of the corner of my eye she's doing something, but then I hear my daughter say, 'I don't like her.'" Gilbert said.
She then explained that when she turned around, she saw the woman making tickle gestures at her child. Gilbert then pivoted the cart away from the woman to ease her daughter's mind.
But the woman refused to leave the toddler alone
Gilbert went on to explain that the woman ended up behind them again. This time, she continued the tickling gesture much closer to the girl. Gilbert then heard her daughter say, "Don't touch me," to the woman while leaning her body away.
"The lady says to her, 'That's not very nice, sweetie.' I literally almost lost my mind and I said to her, 'You're clearly making her uncomfortable because she doesn't know you,'" Gilbert said, to which the woman just laughed.
Gilbert called out the sense of entitlement older generations have when it comes to children's bodies
"I am just so confused at what just happened and I'm literally still shaking in anger," Gilbert said. "I get it, that wasn't the nicest thing for my toddler to say, but also, don't touch her. You're clearly making her uncomfortable."
She then mentioned that behavior like the woman's is very common with older generations, adding that she can't figure out their sense of entitlement to force children they don't know to interact with them in public.
Many moms in the comments commended Gilbert for her and her daughter's reactions
The comments were full of moms who think that Gilbert absolutely did the right thing.
"Take back 'that wasn't the nicest thing for my toddler to say.' yes it was. she voiced her own boundaries. which means you are doing an amazing job," one commenter said.
"I try everyday to have grace & understand the older generation & they just continue to shock me," another said.
"It’s not a child’s job to make ANYONE feel comfortable. Good on you and your daughter for standing up for her," one comment read.
"I don’t think that was bad for your toddler to have said at all!! I think it’s great that she understands that she can set boundaries like that!" another person shared.
