playplace at a mall, and this boy about 3 was going around hitting everyone in the place. Mother didn't care

Question

There were twin 3 yr olds going around hitting smaller children and the mother saw them do it. I had to tell him not to hit my son. I should have approached the mother? Or talk to the children?

Answer 1

In today's society - unfortunatly, don't approach the child! It best and wise to approach the mother, especially if she wasen't doing anything to stop them.
Approach nicely with a smile so you don't come across as intimidating which can cause defenses to flair up and arguments to spawn.....just say "excuse me, would you kindly mind asking your kids not to hit other's, i can see they are so happy and having so much fun but it's not nice to hit other children...."
It's up to her if she gets angry or does anything and if she doesn't get a security guard or someone of enforcement for the area

Answer 2

If the mother doesn't care, then most likely they are not an effective parent. The children will not listen to them. Children are more scared of strangers anyway. If that didn't work, then I would approach the mother and tell her that this is a public playplace and her kids are ruining it for everyone else.

Answer 3

Was there some sort of attendant for this place? If not then telling the child not to hit your child is very acceptable. And if you witness the children hitting others, I'd say it was time to say something to the guardian. I know you were probably furious but pushing that aside and forgetting that you know she saw them, and politely going up the her and asking her to make the children stop hitting would have been acceptable as well.

Answer 4

Talk to the children first. These twins are headed for trouble. I was at playplace once and had to actually put my foot out to stop 2 brothers from running around and around and knocking over smaller children. Just the breeze they left was doing it. I firmly said "stop it NOW"....and they did....the mother was ticked but I didn't care....said something back to me like "they're just kids" to which I said "they're WILD....tell them to knock it off!" (I was with my 5 year old grandson). She left. Children know when they're not behaving properly. You won't be the first grownup they'll hear from either.

Answer 5

People don't like it when others interfere with their parenting choices. And they absolutely loathe it when somone else reprimands their child. That being said, I totally understand why you would want to do something about it. I was at a play space once when a larger child was intimidating my son. I removed my son and got him to play in another area. The other child's mother continued to read her book. A little while later he was back next to my son (they were the only 2 there at the place) and bullying him again (my son was only 18m at the time and didn't know what to make of it). I just picked him up and said we were leaving. My son started screaming and that was when the other woman paid attention (with a dirty look at the screaming child because her reading was so rudely interrupted). I told her that we had to leave because he kept being bullied by her kid. She shrugged and I left.

Answer 6

It wouldn't do any good to talk to the mother if she was just sitting there letting it happen. I agree with another response, that you could have contacted mall security and got them involved. The best you can do in that situation is to let your children know that it's not ok to touch or hit other people. If it continued, then you'd have to explain to your kids that they can't play there right now because another child is being very naughty!

Answer 7

Next time just approach the mother and explain what happened. If any child hits your son infront of you, go right up to that child and firmly say "No hitting." You need to protect your child and let him observe that you won't tolerate such behavior. Get right in there, it is your right.

Answer 8

Always carry a lot of laxitive with you. Next time buy three ice cream cones and give the twins their two. That will fix the twins and the mother.

Answer 9

I do not know if any thing would have helped. some women raise bullies by intention. They would take it out on you if you talk to them or to talk to their children. There was an episode of this type on According to Jim on TV. I believe the best thing to do is to take your children away from them.

Answer 10

oh I hate this happening.

I stop the child from hitting mine, depending on whether the mother reacts, will depend on whether I start a dialogue with her or not. If the child persists then I do approach the parent, but if they see the behaviour and don't stop it, my experience is they don't care about social behaviour or educating their chlidren.