I took the kids (4, and 4) to the park yesterday-- we live in central tx and finally got out from under that rain cloud!!
I was watching them play on the climber and this other child kept smacking them around! The boy was probably their age. The kids are not very confrontational so at first they would just move away. He would not stop! Following them around pushing and hitting. My kids are looking at me like "hello? where is his warning? His time out? he's HITTING me!" So then I stood closer to them, hoping my presence would deter him. Nope!!!
His mother was sitting on the bench watching/reading a novel. What the h e l l? I finally walked over and took his hands and said in my best stern voice "No hitting!" And led my kids to the swing. The other mother called her son over and they left! What on earth? What is proper etiquette for this??
2007-07-04 07:52:52 · 12 answers · asked by mrs.v 4 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
I don't know if this is proper...but this is what I do... :)
When there is a child on the playground who's parent is not parenting, and their child hits/pushes my child I immediately and VERY loudly holler out "No,no,no you do NOT hit other kids!" Generally that gets the mother's attention and she looks up to realize I am talking to her child and typically she will tune back in. And generally they apologize for their child's behavior.
Occasionally a mom will get defensive because I "disciplined her child" to those women I simple state "if you would have been watching your child, I wouldn't have had to step in to protect mine."
2007-07-04 08:10:30 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I have no problem diciplining other people's kids when it comes to situations like that. My daughter is very timid and we were at a play area once where a little girl purposely kicked her in the head 2X. The first time I gave her the benefit of the doubt and maybe thought it was an accident. The 2nd time, I ran over there, wagged my finger in her fact and told her, "DON"T kick her again". Her mother got off her cell phone long enough to ask if there was a problem. I said- yes, your daughter just kicked my daughter in the head twice and I had to let her know that was inappropriate. The mom wasn't too happy, but by that time I was ready to take her on too! haha! I have a short fuse when it comes to people messing with my kids!! :)
2007-07-04 10:10:47 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The proper thing to do was , as soon as he had hit for the second time, to call all the kids over and approach the mother. Let her know that her child had been hitting your's and that you would appreciate her speaking to him and preventing it from occuring again. If the after that, it happened again, I would have left. Unfortunately, beyond asking the parent to intervene, all you can do is either call in police, get into a verbal fight or leave. Since you had two children with you, I would go for leaving the play area and going for a walk for a bit. You could then either head home, see if the child was still around after the walk or take the kids someplace else for fun.
2007-07-04 09:46:02 · answer #3 · answered by Annie 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
You did a great job. You have the right to protect your child from anyone weather they be 4 to 100. I would have ask the child to please stop hitting the other kids if he didn't and mom still not responding then say in a loud voice would the mom of this child please have him stop hitting and pushing. Also you was correct because it could have really hurt your child if he pushed your kid off the wrong way on the play ground. From a little owie to a broken bone. So good for you don't be afraid to stand up for your child!
2007-07-04 08:29:43 · answer #4 · answered by jammero69 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's amazing to me how some people let their kids do whatever they want whether it affects someone else or not. I think you handled it just fine. I would suggest that you role play with your kids at home in case this happens again (and let's face it, it probably will!). Teach them to stand up for themselves. They need to know you will be there for them but that they can also handle things on their own if needed.
2007-07-04 09:54:40 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that was very rude of the other mother to let her son behave that way toward your kids. Can you believe that there ARE parents out there that do that? I definitely would have said something to him. I also would have added, "Excuse me, you MAY not hit my kids. That's not okay." I also would have said to the kids aloud (so that the bully could hear), "It's okay to tell him not to hit you."
2007-07-04 08:26:06 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Frankly, I don't think that I would have been as patient as you were about the situation, but it sounds as though you handled it well.
If you see that particular mother and child at the park again, perhaps you can try to urge your children to play in areas away from him enough that he won't notice them?
2007-07-04 07:57:02 · answer #7 · answered by Maxum F 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Proper etiquette would be for HER to either discipline her own kid, or at least THANK YOU for doing it for her. I'm glad that you stood up for your kids! I'm guessing she left because she was embarrassed and didn't know how else to respond.
2007-07-04 07:58:15 · answer #8 · answered by math guy 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I think you handled the situation just fine.I personally would have said something the first time he hit my child.
2007-07-04 08:20:39 · answer #9 · answered by Shannon R 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I would of just gotten extremely loud and Yelled....STOP HITTING MY KIDS.....and then chewed the mother a new one.....
2007-07-04 07:56:35 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋