Would This Offend You?

[Queen2PrincessG]

Well if the grandmother really meant no she would have declined the gift. She clearly knew what was happening if Op's DH took the kid to "pick a balloon".

 

[ALittleDisneyFan]

FWIW.. I would have been very appreciative at your kind gesture.. so long as I was not disciplining her, etc.

 

[crisi]

....So my husband pretended like he was going to buy me a balloon and asked the girl which one she thought he should get....

I don't think its clear at all that Grandma knew what was going on. Moreover, once the "I'll buy you a balloon, help me pick it out" was directed at the kid, Grandma would be put in the position of being the bad guy - it would STILL have been inappropriate for a stranger to create conflict between Grandma and kid.

 

[Allison]

Well if the grandmother really meant no she would have declined the gift. She clearly knew what was happening if Op's DH took the kid to "pick a balloon".

You mean when the DH "pretended" the balloon was for the OP?

 

[Raspberry Beret]

First off, do me a favor and don't insult me with your passive aggressive ways, if you had any common sense you would realize childless people do not think like parents they think in their own mind they are making a kid happy.
Either way, you are annoying and if I see your kids I will buy them a dozen balloons

So you are an expert on how "childless" people think? Considering, that all of us who are now parents were childless at one time, your opinions are no more valid than any other poster's on the board.

 

[Alesia]

Well if the grandmother really meant no she would have declined the gift. She clearly knew what was happening if Op's DH took the kid to "pick a balloon".

The OP explained that:

OSo my husband pretended like he was going to buy me a balloon and asked the girl which one she thought he should get. Then we gave it to her and told her to have fun at WDW.

 

[Advntur2Disney]

Personally, no. This would not have offended me. Because I know that if I were in WDW and said 'no' to a balloon for my girls, it would have been b/c they are just to expensive. We are on very limited funds when we got to WDW, so buying things like that are just a 'no-go' on vacation.

Now, I don't think I would have gotten offended, but I would be upset if you didn't get BOTH my daughters a balloon. All I need is one of them upset b/c a stranger got one of them a balloon and not the other.

That was very nice and generous of you...

 

[Alesia]

OP, I know your heart was in the right place, but it is never, ever okay to undermine a parent's authority.

 

[*Seanaci*]

Didn't read all the posts...but a few on the first page.

Like someone else stated...if it were a food item, I'd be upset (never know if a child is allergic to something they're asking for or what). However, a balloon, I think is very kind. It made the little girls day...and the grandma's day. The worst that can happen if you continue this tradition is that they refuse to take it...or they take it, walk away and give it to someone else or just let it go up into the sky.

 

[crisi]

Didn't read all the posts...but a few on the first page.

Like someone else stated...if it were a food item, I'd be upset (never know if a child is allergic to something they're asking for or what).....

You missed the point about latex allergies then. Allergies aren't just food.

 

[GinnyEmma]

yes I feel spite is more appropriate, especially when I am trying to argue with soccermom....so do as we all agree and stay out of my argument lol

Lol, private argument....private message. You seem to think passive aggressive is appropriate. I find that interesting based on your earlier comments.

 

[lindsmom]

I guess I'll chime in, but it's more of the same - OP, I do think it was very sweet, but you've probably figured out better safe than sorry and ask a parent / grandparent before you make that gesture. If you had asked me, I probably would have said "Oh, thank you so much for the offer, but frankly I don't want to have to worry about it all day. If dd is as great today as I know she will be, we'll get one on the way out."

I just also want to address the poster who made the infamous "dislike when parents say no to balloons" comment: I almost NEVER say yes to balloons. They're a fleeting, spur of the moment purchase that is a pain in the you know what to babysit all day. If that thing pops, my child has a meltdown. I don't care if Disney gives replacements. Unless replacement guy is following me through the whole park to hand one over the moment the first one pops (and even then it might not work, as it's "not the saaaaaaaaame!"), don't even offer. Seriously, if I followed the theory of not saying no to balloons, when we go for my son's first visit, we won't make it to Cinderella castle because we would have floated away from all the balloons purchased on main street. Look for us "Up" over Lake Buena Vista.

OP: again, sorry other people might be harsh. I do think it was sweet.

 

[miralys]

It certainly would neither offend nor bother me. In fact, I could only see several ways being kind to others in this matter could be even mildly problematic. I go to charity events often and I enjoy handing out things. My only rules of thumb are 1.) no food (for allergies) 2.) there must be enough to go around if there are siblings and 3.) nothing small enough to be swallowed or choked on.

OP, that was a sweet thing to do, and I hope you continue to do so. You might not always be met by kindness, but don't let that bother you.

 

[Queen2PrincessG]

You missed the point about latex allergies then. Allergies aren't just food.

Well if the kid had a latex allergy she probably wouldn't be asking for a balloon.

What I'm saying is that I think it was clear what the husband was doing. At least to me. I think anyone in the situation older than 16 would see that the OP'S DH was going to give the kid the balloon.

 

[Andrew78]

So you are an expert on how "childless" people think? Considering, that all of us who are now parents were childless at one time, your opinions are no more valid than any other poster's on the board.

Yes I am the expert. For real though, before kids I used to do a million things that would drive my brothers and their wives crazy, all were well intended but I just did not know I was crossing boundries or not being the best example of what the best interests of their kids were.

So I am just putting the frame of mind into perspective, yes you can have children and be inappropiate and childless and completley appropriate but in this case I think it was more inexperience that anything, with her example.

And just so you know I would have been completly annoyed if anyone bought anything for my kids after I said no

 

[GinnyEmma]

Well if the kid had a latex allergy she probably wouldn't be asking for a balloon.

What I'm saying is that I think it was clear what the husband was doing. At least to me. I think anyone in the situation older than 16 would see that the OP'S DH was going to give the kid the balloon.

Because a child always understands and accepts allergens and the concerns. Perhaps the grandmother thought the man was just distracting the child.

 

[Allison]

Well if the kid had a latex allergy she probably wouldn't be asking for a balloon.

What I'm saying is that I think it was clear what the husband was doing. At least to me. I think anyone in the situation older than 16 would see that the OP'S DH was going to give the kid the balloon.

I wouldn't have assumed someone else was listening in on my conversation and knew a request for a balloon had been made.

Bottom line-you don't interfere with a caretaker when they say no. I know the OP had wonderful intentions but as can be seen here, many people would not like it.

 

[GinnyEmma]

Befor kids I somehow knew that it is a double msg to a kid when a stranger gives them something. Even some no clue person ought to have a clue about that. The op is lucky that the grandma didn't freak out that a strang. Man was trying to lure away her grandkid. Especially as paranoid as some of the parents are here.

 

[AndreaDM]

I haven't read all the posts, but yes, it would have bothered me. I'm the parent and I don't want anyone overstepping my authority without permission. I don't want to have to drag a balloon through the park and then deal with a crying child when we have to leave the balloon behind because we can't take it on a plane (yes, I've been there). We're staying at AKL this year so DD will understand perfectly why she can't have a balloon this trip, the animal's safety comes first. The grandmother never said she couldn't afford it, she said NO and to you, an outsider, that's enough, no means no.

 

[3pletprincesses]

I wouldn't be offend at all. It was something nice that the little girl will remember for a long time. For one, we bring glow sticks and give them around during our Disney stay. Last month we gave over 150 of them and it was priceless to see all the smiles. My girls love to give them away and it makes many many kids happy. They do ask the parents before giving it to the child and not one parents has declined yet. It's less then $20 out of my pockets and many many happy kids and it teaches my girls about sharing.

Maybe next time try to discretly ask the caretaker about it and then fill the kids life with joy. BTW is was a really nice gesture your dh made. It sure would have made my girls happy