Am I wrong to talk to a kid?

A kid was crying in the bus talking to his Mom saying he don’t know where he’s and where the bus is going. He also mentioned that he can’t figure out and that his phone battery is only 2%. Looks like he slept on the bus. Then he hung up the call and continued to be upset. I felt bad and asked him if he’s okay and told him where the bus is going. Suddenly he got upset and told me to go away. So I did that. Later my husband told me that this is exactly why people don’t help in these situations. They know that kids will act this way as they are taught to not to talk to strangers. It made sense and worried me. I would want someone to help my kid if he got stuck, but at the same time I want him to be same. So it made me think I did the wrong thing by approaching the child, instead I should have minded my own business. Now I realize that I might have scared the child.

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Don't feel bad lah, your heart was in the right place. Honestly, you did exactly what any decent person would do, and the kid's reaction doesn't mean you scared him or did something wrong, he was already upset and confused, so a stranger's voice probably just felt overwhelming at that moment. I think your husband has a point about stranger danger, but there's a difference between teaching kids not to accept things from strangers versus telling them that no adult should ever help if they're genuinely lost or in trouble. My boy once got panicky on the bus and when a lady asked if he was okay, he snapped at her too, but I was grateful she checked in. You handled it well by backing off when he said to, that actually showed good boundaries. If it happens again and you're genuinely concerned, maybe just a quick "Are you okay, do you need help?" and if they say no, leave it at that. You're not wrong for caring.

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