Parents... what would you do if your child told you some stranger (adult) just hit him/her?

Question

Ok, here is the situation:

You are sitting at a playground park bench with other parents while your kid plays on the playground. He comes crying to you and tells you that some adult guy just hit him. You go to confront the guy and this is what you tells you...

the guy says:
Your child was biting my nephew and wouldn't let go. I yelled for this kids parent but the playground was too loud and parents are sitting a good distance away. the guy also says he didn't wanna pull your child off cuz it may have taken chunk of skin off...guys says he kept telling kid to STOP! STOP! and had to resort to hitting your kid hard enought for him to stop...

my question is...
what do u do? Are u angry at the guy? or do u just turn around and discipline your child and tell the guy 'sorry' ?

Answer 1

I would turn around and discipline my child.
I too have been in that situation where a child was acting very inappropriately and no parent would come.
I was at burger king one time and this kid came over to me and started grabbing my food. I told her no so she got angry at me and grabbed my purse and was fighting with me for it. I kept calling for this child's parents to come and help me but no one came to my rescue. I finally pushed the child away. She then stole my daughter's stickers, ripped them, and bit her hard. I wanted to smack her and almost did but caught myself just in time and pushed her away from my daughter. Her father then came over to me and I told him what had happened. He then stood over me and told me off for about 5 minutes about how I do not love children and this is the way children act. The people next to my table stood up for me in my defense and the guy had the nerve to apologies to them for his kid's behavior but not me.
I know just how that uncle in that park must have felt

Answer 2

I would take offense and tell the guy that he should never ever hit another child. That he should ask the child where his parents are. But to smack a child that is not your own is uncalled for and have a couple words with him. Then asking the child if this is correct what this guy is saying. If the child says yes then I would sit down in front of the guy with the child and explain that he is not coming back to the play ground until he can exhibit better behavior around other kids. Make sure you let the guy know that if it happens again you will report it to the cops. I had to take the playground away from my child for a couple days because he was being rough with other boys. It lasted only a couple days. Then he tells me he would like another chance. He's been an angel since at least at the playground;).

Answer 3

All that took place an not one person saw what was going on? I doubt it. I personally, would call the police and file a report. I mean, the child had to have had a bite on the other kids like a mad dog for the man to be fearful of pulling the kids off. Now, I would also confront my child about the biting. How old is the kid biting, should he not already know better? Thankfully, even when my children were 1-2 years old they never bit. There has got to be more to the story then the man is saying and so.

Answer 4

I find it ironic that in your other question, most people decided to hit the child.

Yet when roles are reversed people would be pretty pissed off if it happened to them.

I would be disgusted that my kid was hit by some random stranger and state my personal view on the matter, but in a polite way.

I would also make sure to offer any band-aids, store-runs or supplies that the other child might need for the wound. I would also let the guy know that the child will be disciplined accordingly.

As stated: there are different ways to handle situations.

I would probably leave the park, but curiously enough - I wouldn't just wander off with my kid unsupervised in such a setting.

Really anything can happen in the two seconds you turn away.

Answer 5

As the parent of the child who was hit, I'd be upset that he hit my kid...but you have to think how would you react if it were your child/nephew being bit? I still don't think I would hit someone else's kid...especially a kid I don't know. I would make my kid apologize to the other kid, and discipline her (I have a daughter) but I would have issues with the other guy - don't ever put your hands on someone else's kid. You're telling me that there was no other way to get that kid to stop biting your nephew? I find that hard to believe.

Answer 6

I have seen my son bite his sister as hard as you've described and he's 6 now so he understands the words stop and no. Luckily he's never done it to anyone but her. When we are at the park either myself or my daughter is watching him(she's 12.5) and if he gets out of hand either I'm there right away or she comes and gets me before anything happens. If the other adult tried to get him to stop with no avail then I think he would be justified in slapping the child to make him let go. I would make my son apologize to the child he hurt then take him straight home and punish him there(grounding him).

Answer 7

To begin with, confrontation rarely yields a happy ending. If you go in accusing, you will end up in a fight, at least orally. Since you did not see the incident, you have no real way of knowing what happened, so your best course is to nuetraly approach the other adult and ask what happened. Thank him for the information and leave. Do not apologize or offer argument. Discuss the situation with your child and work out a better means to keep track of him in the future.

Answer 8

I would stay away from the guy, then diciplin the child in my own way and tell the child they did the right thing by telling you that the adult hit them. Have a long conversation about how it is not right for anyone to touch the child but it also is wrong to touch anyone else (referring to the child biting) GOOD LUCK!

Answer 9

i would be very angry because there is absolutely no situation that could justify a full grown adult striking a child. if there were witnesses, i would press charges.
unless the child has razor sharp fangs with an animal like grip, theres no reason to be afraid that he will tear off a chunk of skin by pulling him off.

Answer 10

Hard one to answer.
He is protecting his child from a child that is out of control.
There is the good and the bad here. I would be very up set otherwise. Under the circumstances you tell us here, I would hope your child learned a lesson and keep a better eye on my child in the future.