Stressing over OPT

[mumofalltrades]

OPT= Other People's Toddlers. This weekend at a group camping event, I found myself close to snapping due to an OPT. The family seem to believe it takes a village to raise a child, so therefore everyone will be happy to protect their two and a half year old from fire pits, ditches, dogs and any other hazards he comes across.

I found myself chasing

Comments

[courtney_ke]

I would simply sit there. It isn't your child to watch after. As soon as you made the first move to redirect or save the child, she spotted your weakness. People exploit weakness.

Be tough, ignore the obvious danger. Her child has survived this long, likely due to a combination of her own Maternal Instincts *eventually* kicking in, and "weak" (slash compassionate) people who just can't see a child learn about fire the hard way.

[mumofalltrades]

I agree the parent should take responsibility. But, I know I can't sit idly by and watch a child get hurt in obviously dangerous circumstances. I think if the woman had said to me "I'm exhausted watching these two, would you mind watching one for a bit, I'd have felt very different. It was more the assumption that I would look out for them that was hard to bare. And I still cannot think of a polite way to express this.

polite ways

[ext_798265]

err, does one necessarily need to be polite in such a case?
Why not pick up the toddler after the first rescue adn drop "it" firmly in Mom's lap... and then walk away? The toddler would most probably protest furiously from being interrupted in its exploration discovery tour, goody; let "mom" deal with that...
Squirrel