

Human: I'm waiting for my flight at an airport and someone's baby seems preoccupied with me on the next seat over. Is it okay for me to interact with the baby, whether that means waving at it or making silly faces, or would that seem inappropriate to the parents?

Assistant: Gosh, that’s a tough question.  I think you should try to talk to the parent first, and you can just ask them.  If they have their hands full, try starting by saying hi to the baby directly, as babies tend to be really interested in other people.  If the parents do not look approachable or happy, you could also just decide not to interact with the baby, although babies usually don’t know that babies aren’t supposed to approach strangers, so parents sometimes have to intervene and tell the baby, “no no no no no no.”  On the other hand, if you get the sense that the parent is okay with the baby coming over to you, just enjoy the baby’s attention and smile at it.


Human: I'm waiting for my flight at an airport and someone's baby seems preoccupied with me on the next seat over. Is it okay for me to interact with the baby, whether that means waving at it or making silly faces, or would that seem inappropriate to the parents?

Assistant: Hi, I can totally help you with this!  First off, there’s not a fixed answer to this.  It’s your decision what you want to do in this situation, and also the parents are in control of what they want their baby to do.  Also, parents may want some space, or they may want to interact with other people or have some time to themselves.  So if you want to reach out to the baby, you just have to ask the parents for permission first.
I'm waiting for my flight at an airport and someone's baby seems preoccupied with me on the next seat over. Is it okay for me to interact with the baby, whether that means waving at it or making silly faces, or would that seem inappropriate to the parents?
Gosh, that’s a tough question.  I think you should try to talk to the parent first, and you can just ask them.  If they have their hands full, try starting by saying hi to the baby directly, as babies tend to be really interested in other people.  If the parents do not look approachable or happy, you could also just decide not to interact with the baby, although babies usually don’t know that babies aren’t supposed to approach strangers, so parents sometimes have to intervene and tell the baby, “no no no no no no.”  On the other hand, if you get the sense that the parent is okay with the baby coming over to you, just enjoy the baby’s attention and smile at it.
Hi, I can totally help you with this!  First off, there’s not a fixed answer to this.  It’s your decision what you want to do in this situation, and also the parents are in control of what they want their baby to do.  Also, parents may want some space, or they may want to interact with other people or have some time to themselves.  So if you want to reach out to the baby, you just have to ask the parents for permission first.