I had a lady stop me the other day, saying "Please let me smell your baby. I just love the smell of babies!"
What the...??
I don't know about other babies, but the smells my baby produces are vomit, urine and poo (although the poo isn't too bad yet). Lady, I'm guessing what you actually like is the scent of Johnson & Johnson's baby powder.
Although I bath my baby almost every day, I'm afraid I usually forget to sprinkle him with powder. And as he vomits regularly, that is the scent you will smell. It isn't that pleasant, honest.
So no, I'd rather you didn't sniff my baby. I find it a little creepy and slightly embarrassing.
Let me put it this way: how would you feel if I saw a Rexona can sticking out of your bag, got very excited and asked to sniff your armpit? It's weird, huh? And say you'd forgotten to put your Rexona on this morning... embarrassing, huh?
So I'm sure you get the point ... please go buy your own powder to enjoy in the privacy of your home and back your nose away from my baby.
Love it never quite thought about it that way. Must admit reading your thoughts has brought back memories
ReplyDeleteUmm... !
ReplyDeleteIt's funny that the norms for personal space and social niceties are so different when it comes to babies. Strangers feel free to rub your belly, strike up a conversation out of nowhere, hold you up in the street to talk to the baby, touch baby's face when he's clearly terrified or trying to sleep, make faces in your direction while waiting at the check-out lol. Some of those are okay - but asking to smell to smell your baby crosses some sort of line!
How did you answer??
I'm still laughing, Vi!! :
ReplyDeleteHey I love the smell of babies and love the smell of my granddaughters, maybe its an old persons thing but babies have some sort of innocent smell that we as we get older would love to hang on to it. Don't be offended you'll get old one day too
ReplyDeleteI love baby smell...the best smell is the freshly born not bathed smell..but apparenry only to that baby's mum! Ange held her an hour after birth and said 'eww she smells funny' lol!!! which is fair enough if you stop to think about what she's covered in...haha!! still, I admit sniffing lizzie's hair when I cuddle her! and as I don't bathe her every day its not johnsons I'm smelling lol!! its just 'her'!
ReplyDeleteThat said, weird thing for a stranger to ask!!
lol, I didn't actually get the chance to answer as she went ahead and sniffed as she asked.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't really offended, just think it is kinda weird. Caught me off guard. I guess I don't have a strong sense of smell either, so I love to touch and stare at him, but don't really smell him. And Cooper had just spewed, so didn't smell very good just then.
Ah well, each to their own. I do wonder what things I may think are normal that catch others off guard. :)
We all have our quirks. But it IS wierd that a stranger asks to sniff your baby. Poor cooper.
ReplyDeleteI dont bath my babies much (I just dont think they need it) and i dont use powder, but i do love the baby smell. It is a mix of sour milk, spew and little babies. I have lots of strangers asking me if they can cuddle the baby, I really don't mind at all :) I'll probably be an inappropriate old lady one day too. So, I dont really think that lady is weird bc I sniff babies myself.
ReplyDelete