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26th April 2024
10:39am BST
The woman explained that she had been left confused by the encounter, and was turning to other parents to see if what she did was really wrong.
She said that she had been standing outside a café with her nine-month-old baby when the man, who was carrying a toddler, approached.
She recalled how the man's daughter wanted to see her baby, so she introduced them both before asking how old the girl was.
The woman said that she greeted the little girl by saying, "Hello lovely, aren't you gorgeous?" - which is when the encounter took a bit of a turn.
She wrote on Mumsnet:
"The man looked me sternly in the eyes and said, "Oh no, don't tell her that, language like that ruins them!
"I work with children, I have lots of friends with children. I often use language like this. This is the first time I've come across this kind of attitude and I must admit I thought he was joking and laughed in his face."
Some people said that the dad was being "ridiculous" for his comments, while others insisted parents should reinforce children's strengths beyond their appearances.
One person said:
"I do avoid telling my nieces that they're pretty for that reason, although I think that since he was someone you don't know and won't see again he was just being plain old rude."
Someone else added;
"I feel the same as him. Whether you say it to a boy or a girl, why can't you just say 'Hello little one, are you having a fun day?' or something just plain?
"Why does a primary interaction have to be based on physical attributes and faux compliments? You wouldn't say it to an adult, why say it to a child? Just talk to them normally."
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