I have a 2 1/2 year old. I'm happy when people smile at him, talk to him or try to interact with him. If you engage him and he's interested, he'll probably give you a high 5.

Having a baby/toddler is like having a puppy in that it makes you more approachable to people. I like when someone asks me how old Jack is, or tells me he's cute. The only time it wouldn't be welcome is if he's having a difficult moment (think: tantrum, blessedly rare).

I'm really proud of my kid so it makes me happy when someone notices him and wants to say hi.

Nope, none of that bothered me at all. I was glad for the added social interaction. However, my level of vigilance was in the Red Zone.

The only time it bothers me is if I'm in "get in, get the shit, get out" mode. Usually I'll take Jack to Kroger on senior discount day intentionally, just because the blue hairs go CRAZY over him, so he turns into Mr. Saturday Night in there. It's seriously the baby version of Dean Martin walking into The Sands casino. I've had old grizzled veterans put D-Day memorial ball caps on his head, plump pink-cheeked women flirt with him, you name it, and when I'm not frazzled or in a hurry, it's awesome.

In short, try to read the parent. If they're looking harried or hurried, leave 'em be. But if not, there ain't a parent in the world that doesn't like to have the world acknowledge that his or her kid is the Most Wonderfullest Child Ever.

I can't take EM anywhere without a mobbing. Here's a pic of him being mobbed by some oldies in wheelchairs.

It's not just because he is the Cutest Baby in the World ™ but he's considered unique being a "hafu" (half Caucasian, half Japanese) *rolls eyes*

I usually just smile. Sometimes it's a real help when people amuse him on the bus or train too. People usually ask to touch him first - we usually wipe him down with disinfectant wipes when we get home.

I'd rather someone smile and be silly than frown because a kid is being a bit fussy. But that's a WHOLE 'nother thread.

Nah, I'm good. When they were littler and I didn't cut their hair for months, people assumed they were twin girls. Interesting reactions.

Also, what Kangaroo said.

I'd rather someone smile and be silly than frown because a kid is being a bit fussy. But that's a WHOLE 'nother thread.

A thousand times this.

Nah, I like it. Although then I always end up semi-apologising for my kiddo as she stares solemnly and unblinkingly at the stranger, refusing to engage.

Thanks for asking this. I always figured it was okay because so many others do it and I've never seen a parent react badly to me or anyone else, but I've still wondered a little.

Mine was extremely social in the adorable baby-years and figures prominently in Japanese peoples photo albums. Here's the little mermaid... Here's the cute baby we saw in Copenhagen and posed with.... She still attracts smiles from strangers, and only a handful of these interactions have been with people that have made me slightly uncomfortable - think park bums that are a little drunk that I wish to speed past or the slightly off people who insist on telling me for five minutes to "enjoy this time, they grow up so fast". (slightly off= meaning they might also be park bums or signal slight mental disorders in some other way)

I don't mind so much the park bums either, I mean if she gives them a reason to smile that's great, it's just that they tend to sit in groups and not all of them are on the "heeey, what an adorable baby" level at the same time, and well, they're drunk at noon. Too many variables.

I never used to smile at babies but have done it ever since I've had mine, so I interpret smiles and interactions with babies for what they are, baby lovers being happy to see a social happy one. This isn't bad anywhere, we should all smile at bit more at each other.

My toddler is now a baby lover and has been since she was one and could barely walk herself, so she tends to stop and wave at other babies, this isn't so popular with moms who have learned that hard way that some toddlers are unknowingly rough with babies. They're pleasantly surprised to find that mine is a gentle and caring even when she herself was so small you'd think she might not have all her handcontrol etc sorted out yet.

another data point: I was the kind of baby people wanted to play peek-a-boo with, I remember strangers stopping my mom everywhere and declining candy always (I was not allowed to take candy offered to me by anyone but my mother and remember so well declining what I really wanted). I thought this was great and could wave at people anywhere, but I hated hated hated having my cheeks pinched. So please, no cheek pinching.

I'm much more defensive of my kids now that they're older, as in almost teens and roaming some. When they were toddlers, I knew I was in control of them, so I was less cautious of strangers making faces at them or whatever.

In my lab, where I've been working going on 6 years now and most everyone knows me, sometimes parents bring in their little ones and I make faces, etc.

Not recommended for strangers, of course, but I've even had several parents trying to get stuff done take me up on my offer to carry their bored babies around for a bit. These have been the parents that have to get some email answered or whatever, and I promise to stay in the room and I return quickly if the kid freaks out because they can't see the parent. It's been nice to carry a kid around on my hip now and then now that mine are almost teens. Also, I can take those little ones back when they get fussy. It's like practice for when I may be a grandma some day.

I can see not wanting strangers to get close enough to the baby to communicate something infectious. But how could anyone get bunched panties over someone making smiley faces at it from a distance? What would they want to say? "How dare you find my child adorable!"

Elliot Mason is adorable and I don't care who knows it.

Yes, indeed he is.

Kids always seem to make a beeline for me; eye-wise that is, not physically. I'll wave, smile, make faces and play peekaboo if that's what the kiddo wants. But touching? No, not gonna happen. I'd freak out if some stranger reached out for my (non-existent) kid and I totally respect that response.

gomichild - please forgive my ignorance, but I thought, in general, Japanese didn't like mixed children (half Japanese, half whatever). I'd wondered about Elliot's reception in Japan because of this, but hadn't asked because I didn't want to pry.

Well I think he is adorable too but I may be biased.

For some time mixed children have been really popular. There are a few talento right now who are "hafu" - so it's really trendy. They are like designer bags to carry around. Extra bonus points if the mother is white too apparently.

I don't agree with any of it this crap - but Elliot Mason won't have a rough time here nowadays because he is hafu - in fact the opposite. In the past there have been issues in regards to hair colour at school - because everyone must have black hair and no colouring is allowed - and for a lot of mixed race kids they have lighter hair. Mostly though there are enough kids now that ridiculous rules like that should have been put aside.

Perhaps an odd thing is people will try to speak English to EM because I am white - whereas his peers who are mixed (but have Japanese mothers) are always spoken to in Japanese. In fact we've noticed that even when Daddy is around it still happens - and Yoshi (who looks pretty damn Japanese) has been asked if he understands Japanese. The joke for us being we speak Japanese at home and he doesn't speak that much English. Such is the dazzling power of my white skin however.

So don't worry about prying deborah - I find this stuff interesting because where I am from (Australia) it's likely that almost everyone you know is mixed somehow, but here still rare enough to have lots of comments made.

Elliot Mason is more accepted than I am. If Daddy takes him to the playhouse people are more comfortable speaking to him and EM than if I take him there - because there is more fear that I'll not understand. More often once people hear me speaking Japanese they relax a bit. (Until they find out how much Japanese I understand and that I can also get angry in Japanese but those are other stories). Often it is more fear of the unknown than full on prejudice.

EM will never be fully accepted as "Japanese" though even if he lives here his whole life. I know it makes a lot of mixed grown ups frustrated and angry to deal with being set aside from the core "Japanese" community in some respects to attitude. The more there are though the less it will matter.

It's most likely though that we will move to Australia before he starts school (education is a whole 'nother epic topic) - so there will be issues dealing with making sure he knows Japan and doesn't feel too alien when he comes back here.

Wow, thanks for all the info, gomichild! It's good to know that "hafus" are accepted now.

I wonder if the Japanese are hesitant around you just because they worry about how much Japanese you do know. It always gives me a chuckle reading/hearing about people of one language talking crap about someone they don't think knows their language and finding out differently. Assumptions are a bitch.

Yeah the whole language thing is interesting in that when you first start off and can mumble some phrases people are all "Oh you speak great Japanese!" ... they stop saying that after you hit a point of fluency generally though.