I have been reflecting on the recent incident where a senior patted a child on the head, which led to an ugly confrontation. In my view, there are two perspectives to this: the senior’s understanding of social norms versus that of the parents.
For the senior, patting a child on the head is simply a gesture of elderly affection and friendliness. For the parents, however, it can feel like a violation of their child’s personal space and boundaries.
As a senior navigating today’s world, I realize I need to be aware of how much things have changed. What was considered normal in my younger days may no longer be acceptable now. In this case, walking up and patting a stranger’s child on the head is simply no longer the norm.
I can recall that in years past, whenever an older lady saw someone carrying a baby or toddler, she would likely give the child a gentle pinch on the cheek and exclaim, “So cute!” Today, even that is no longer seen as acceptable behavior. The proper approach now is probably to ask for permission before making any such gesture. It is definitely better to err on the side of caution!