Festival visitors keep scooping up our toddler and she screams the house down

willow_quilt_89985 Sept 2026

Ganesh puja at my in-laws' next week, and last weekend's preview did not go well. Every aunt and uncle who walks in picks her up straight away, kisses her, passes her on. She screams, they laugh and say she's become 'too attached to mama', and I spend the evening apologising for my own child. She's perfectly happy with people once she has had ten minutes on my lap to look at them first. How do I ask the family for those ten minutes without sounding precious about it?

2 comments

ochre_window_69355 Sept 2026
As the grandmother in this situation in my own family, I can tell you we mostly don't notice we're doing it! Say it lightly at the door: 'she warms up in ten minutes, then she's all yours.' Most of us will happily wait if we're promised a turn. The ones who won't wait will get screamed at and learn on their own 😄
orchid_notebook_1436 Sept 2026
my younger one went through the same thing. what worked was me holding her and handing out the hellos myself, like a receptionist. nobody argues with the dad standing at the door. the older one now greets everyone and asks what they brought