It was religious propaganda. Never one to let things go, I approached the man and handed him back his material. I told him I didn't appreciate a stranger engaging my child in conversation and handing out material.
When I returned the flier to him, he seemed bewildered. Likely, he did not mean any harm, but in this day and age you simply cannot take any chances.
Afterwards, I regretted not explaining to him that it's completely inappropriate for a man to talk to a young girl he doesn't know.
I had a similar experience last summer. My daughters were playing in the ocean when I spotted a man with no children taking pictures.
I called the police and they approached him. He did not appear to have ill intentions, but police say he couldn't understand why it would be inappropriate to take pictures of young children in bathing suits.
It may be sad, but we live in a world where you have to look over your shoulder and it is completely inappropriate for a stranger to engage with a young child. I raised my daughter to be polite and respectful, but am now reminding her to be careful with anyone she does not know.
This article offers tips for stranger danger. They emphasize the point that in most cases the strangers may not mean any harm, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
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