Grannies and babies
Every now and then in a public environment you can witness a situation where an elderly person is infatuated by a young child.
It’s an ordinary Monday morning, the commute is full of people. Young people are clutching their coffee cup in their hands trying to stay awake. On the next stop a 80-something granny enters. The drowsy people move away to make room. In the overpacked trolley/bus/cart the granny notices an infant. Her smile widens. She instantly starts to communicate with the child. She might be making faces, noises, or talking in a baby voice, or start signing nursery rhymes.
She might not have grandchildren of her own, or if she does, she maybe wishes she could see them more often. She could be jealous of the young life and remorse of the life she will soon leave behind. Sometimes it looks like a vampire bent over a helpless victim. It depends on how high pitched her babble is, and how much the mother seems annoyed.
The direct communication between your child and the granny in question could be normal if you are living in a village or a small town. But if your city is way larger than that, the effect is more than creepy.
How would you react in such a situation? Does it take a village to raise a child? Are grannies kind and well-meaning or creepy and intrusive?
