It's no secret that Adeleigh is a social butterfly. She'll smile at, approach, take popcorn from, sit on the lap of, and hug just about anyone. She also seems to be very in-tune to those she's approaching. And if they are not receptive to her, she'll generally shy away and move onto another. We've always commended Adeleigh on being so friendly. She (and we) have met some pretty cool people because of her eagerness to make new friends.
This evening, while playing at Bear Fish Park in Old Town Square, Adeleigh approached another mom that was sitting and eating popcorn while watching her daughter climb on Bear. The mom asked me if it was alright that she share her popcorn with Adeleigh. My response was, "As long as you don't mind sharing your popcorn! My little one will approach anyone that has a yummy treat." The mom said, "Oh, our little girl will approach and hug just about anyone and everyone. We've had to have some serious discussions with her about that."
Then, before I could do or say anything else, Adeleigh was off running in another direction with another friend, Andrew whom she just met. I followed them to the historic drinking fountain, then atop the ledge by the flowers, then back to Bear Fish, then back to the fountain. Andrew's parents caught up with us and said it was time to go. Then they told Andrew to "tell Adeleigh 'bye bye'". He did and Adeleigh gave him a hug. But that wasn't sufficient. So, she hugged Andrew's daddy. Then, his mommy. Next, she took off running up the hill and approached a group of about six middle-aged men and women that were all standing in a circle chatting. She welcomed herself into their circle and hugged the first gentleman she saw. Then one by one, she made her way around the entire circle, hugging the legs of all of the strangers. They loved it! They were laughing hysterically and thanking her for the hugs and hugging her back. It was a pretty happy moment.
:)
It's no secret how awesome this city is, the friendly and familiar faces, the laid-back atmosphere, the sense of community we have. But just as any place on earth, our city has its fair share of crazies. (For example, we live right down the street from where a man decided to launch an unidentified flying object that supposedly, but didn't really, hold "Balloon Boy" inside. End example, please.)
Given any other night, I probably wouldn't have had any second thoughts about Adeleigh having hugged so many strangers. But after hearing the other Mom concerned that her daughter is also a "stranger-hugger" and has had "serious discussions" with her about it, it made me wonder, should I be worried about it too? Is it strange that I haven't been concerned about it in the past?
Instead of commending Adeleigh and being proud of her friendliness and warm gestures, should I be more cautious and leery of those she's approaching? After she's just made a group of people smile and laugh, should I be telling her that she's not supposed to do that?
I would certainly hate for her to someday, willingly approach someone she shouldn't, or have a sketchy experience as a result. But, I just don't think I have the heart to try and change the goodness and warmth of her two-year-old, megaton heart.
What do you think? I would love any insight that other Moms and Dads could offer. Should I express concern, either now or at a later age, of my daughter's ease in approaching new faces?
Photo credit - This is not really Adeleigh
dailysquee.com
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