Stranger giving your child money

piglet74

Its an old tradition here in Ireland as well, the first time you see the new baby, you would put money into the pram,

Maybe the Scots took it to Ireland.. Or maybe the Irish took it to Scotland.. Who knows :-D

Corelli

Like Pimento, I can talk about East London. When I was on buses with my daughter as a baby 18 - 17 years ago she used to get given silver coins, or people would give it to me for her, making nice comments about her being a friendly baby. And goodness knows she was sociable as a baby. As I had her in a sling, I don't know if the normal thing would have been to put it in the pram. A few years later with my son I had a car so didn't spend so much time with others, but got given money for him once. Does this still go on then? I had thought that the tradition was dying out.

KateBob

I'm from Nottingham and both my children were given coins, usually £1, from older people I didn't know.

Although I had no direct memory of this tradition before this happened to me, I immediately knew it was for luck and wasn't worried so it must have stirred a memory!

zagubov

This used to be perfectly common in the (central) Scotland. Kind of sad that it's regarded with suspicion elsewhere.:(

Absolutely don't report it.

JimmyTheWig

Nice tradition.
Also fits with Martin's ideas (see past blogs) of good and bad present giving.

OrkneyStar

In the olden days people often gave money to (mostly new) babies in their prams, perhaps he was just thinking along those lines, adding inflation on? I wouldn't be too worried, treat you and the wee one to something!
ETA This was also in Scotland, perhaps not a tradition elsewhere. We also threw money on the street at weddings (scrambles!)- us Scots are generous!

System

I think the term used is 'crossing the baby's palm with silver'. Old wives tale but it was supposed to give the baby good luck financially in the future.

Its a lovely gesture (but at the same time i thought of that grubby coin thats been in everyones pockets infecting my newborn baby's sterile clean hand).

katepnlo

What a lovely thing for him to have done I would have felt all warm and fuzzy at the gesture. Bless his heart!

purplegirluk1

I'm 30 and I remember clearly lots of old people giving me money as a child. I used to get coins for holding doors open, picking things up when they dropped them etc and just generally being a nice and polite child. I think this gentle man was simply following this tradition.

suki1964

I'm a Londoner and I too would give a new born money, it was pretty common when I was growing up. Even as children if we were in the shops and met with a friend of the family they would give us a coin for sweeties or the money box