Mom wears her baby during a grocery run — then, she notices how many people stop to talk to her

When a mother, Lia Scenna (@liascenna), from Massachusetts decided to wear her baby to the grocery store, what began as a simple shopping trip quickly transformed into a social experiment. Her choice elicited interesting reactions from those around her. She decided to keep a track of how many times a stranger stopped to chat during her babywearing outing, counting six unexpected encounters — one of which turned out to be a surprise visit from the baby’s grandfather.

The first person who stopped to talk to her commented on her babywearing style and said, “In Africa, we wear them on our backs.” While several others smiled at the baby, many also complimented her for looking cute. One elderly woman also stopped to share the nostalgic stories of her days caring for her little ones long ago, as reported by Motherly. Speaking of her interaction with the elderly lady, Scenna said, “We talked for 5 minutes about her kids and their age gaps. She was so sweet. Her oldest is 52.” Several other strangers exchanged smiles with the mother-daughter duo during their time in the grocery store.

Towards the end of the video, a man leans in toward the baby’s face, making us wonder for a moment, until it clicks that it was her grandfather who surprised them. As the video went viral, several social media users shared their reactions in the comment section. One TikTok user, @baileywatchmaker, commented, “I love that you didn't get annoyed. The amount of videos I've seen of moms getting mad at people, even looking at their baby, drives me crazy. Babies just bring joy to everyone.” Another person, @korimolter, wrote, “I screamed when the man touched her face, and then I was like, oh, it’s papa.”

A third TikTok user, @luckychancedesigns, chimed in and wrote, “When you were speaking to the woman who has the age gap children, you and baby were doing the same thing with your right hands.” Another person, @k.010793, said, “It might slow my grocery shopping down a bit, but seeing the joy on people’s faces when seeing my baby makes it worth it. Glad I can help make someone smile.” Meanwhile, @benita.155 suggested, “That’s so cute. Not wanting to be unfair, but please check the guidelines of safe baby wearing. Front-facing isn’t safe at any age, especially this young. Better wear her on your back, if she wants.”

The video reveals a truth that carrying a baby in public instantly turns you into a magnet, attracting strangers, their conversations, opinions, and occasionally, judgments as well. While this might get annoying for the mothers at times, Scenna remained calm throughout, and this was something that several social media users praised. Babies often attract the attention of those around them, be it another child or an elder. There are many reasons for this, such as babies being attracted to lively facial expressions or feeling especially interested in certain individuals. However, be careful while interacting with a baby, and do not touch them without their parents’ permission.