It's interesting, I always feel awkward around grumpy kids because I don't want to feel like I'm intruding on the mother's turf. But then, I'm not close to any mothers of young kids so it's not as though I have a relationship with them and I feel like I have no right to try to help.

I will, however, pull lots of faces at children on public transport, especially if they're crying. If I can get their attention, they're so busy being weirded out by this adult making faces that they forget what they were upset about :-p