one of my favorites Bluey The episode is Season 1’s “Camping,” which depicts Bluey meeting his friend Jean-Luc, who is the same age as him, while camping with his family. The only time they interact throughout the show is during this one camping trip (with a gentle nod towards their future at the end). It’s so sweet to think of all the friends we made as children and as adults. — They exist in our lives for only a short season.
People you dance with all night during spring break and never see again. This kid is only seen on the playground after Wednesday night football and never outside the monkey bars.
But apparently not all parents feel the same way, with one mother going on a TikTok rant against people who aren’t interested in “letting my child play with your child.”
In the video, which has more than 100,000 views and thousands of comments, New England mother Allie Hagerty (@thealliehagerty on TikTok) shares the story of her 2-1/2-year-old daughter Charlotte trying to make friends at the beach. Since Charlotte is an only child, Allie and her husband have worked with her on how to “put herself out there,” especially in public places like the beach. She explains that she always “guides” her children toward playing together when another child approaches.
Next, I will share what happened when my daughter approached another family member.
Allie said she was in the water near another mother when she saw Charlotte approach the woman’s two daughters. When she asked how old the girls were, the mother gave off a strange, closed-off vibe before answering. Allie tried again, telling Charlotte’s age, but her mother still wasn’t serious about it.
Heartbroken, Allie said she watched her daughter walk up to the two girls (ages 1 and 3, the same age as Charlotte), introduce herself and ask for their names, but the girls’ father just gave her a strange look, indicating this was not a normal interaction at all.
And Allie angry.
You know, I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. Maybe this couple just wanted some family time. Perhaps they are trying to foster a bond between their daughters. Maybe you’ve had a bad experience or felt responsible for someone else’s child clinging to you during the holidays. But…children as young as 2 1/2 years old should be encouraged to say hello and make friends.
In the comments, many agreed.
“I’m an introvert, but I’m good with kids. Well,” one person wrote.
“It’s so weird, especially at the beach. The beach is literally the best place to make friends,” said another.
“No, no, but seriously, this kind of parenting impairs children’s socialization skills,” someone else added.
Later in the video, Ally said that her mother used to force her to go introduce herself to the other children during the holidays. I remember my mother saying, “I’m your mother, not your friend.” love The atmosphere. I think it’s okay if you don’t want to make new friends every day. I think it’s okay to have a healthy mix of interacting with new people and spending time on your own afterwards.
But when people talk about wanting a “village,” this is part of it. If you can’t do that, you can’t have a village. Get used to it village. And yes, being able to interact with strangers (especially young children) on the beach is part of the village.
You don’t have to invite the kids over for dinner, give up all their toys, or put them in positions that are uncomfortable for others, but you can still play for 20 minutes. You can also make small talk with other parents. Just smile, watch from a distance, wave, and never see them again as your children safely build sandcastles with their peers.
Some commenters claimed they didn’t want small talk and didn’t like other kids getting close to their kids. It’s the kind of comment you’d expect from someone who rolls their eyes when they wear AirPods at the grocery store and the person sitting next to them on a plane asks, “Are you working or playing?”
If that’s you, I really want you to remember what society is all about. We must also participate in society and act as if we were part of it.
