AIBU - my friend pinched a boy

[mamasilla]

My friends and I took all kids to a soft play area today. After 10 mins one of the kids came crying to us saying that another boy had punched him as he wanted to take a toy of him, he identified the kid to us so we decided to keep a closer eye. Five mins later the same happened to my girl. I went over to where the mom was with her friends and asked her to keep an eye as this boy was upsetting the rest. When the mom dismissed my point I pointed out that it would be very unpleasant if one of our kids punched him back. She said that her kid knows how to look after himself (the boy must have been 4 or 5 years old). When it happened the third time one of my friends reacted and pinched (not punched) the offending kid on the arm (his mum continued to be oblivious).
The debate then started, was she being unreasonable? I'd be interested in hearing your views!

[WorraLiberty]

Oh ffs do you even need to ask?

[StillStayingClassySanDiego]

The grown up was unreasonable in pinching the arm of a 4/5 year old child.

[The5DayChicken]

Was she unreasonable to hurt a child with an ineffective parent? Yes.

[annielouise]

Of course she shouldn't have done it - it's a 4-5 year old kid. She could have told him off, tough if his mother didn't like that as she wasn't keeping an eye, she could have sternly said something like don't you dare do that. She should have gone and told someone that works there to speak to him.

[ghostyslovesheep]

jesus it must be a slow day - yes of course it's unreasonable to hurt a child

[ilovesooty]

Is this question even serious?

[ScrumpyBetty]

How ridiculous. I can't believe you even need to ask

[thornrose]

Oh bloody hell, of course she was wrong.

[WorraLiberty]

She was a coward too, hurting the child with a sneaky pinch.

Why didn't she slap him on the back of the legs?

Oh yeah, because then everyone would have seen her and she'd be up on an assault charge...once the boy's mother had been peeled off of her.

[NeedsAsockamnesty]

So she's using the it's ok for a bigger person to hurt a smaller one thing?

How would she feel of a bigger or stronger adult had seen her and decided to punch her in the face, would that be ok.

Of course it's not ok to go around using physical chastisement on other people's children.

There is quite a valid argument for providing direct supervision in environments where you know that ineffective parents tend to use them as a rather large child cage just so they can ignore their violent charges.

[chocolatechip123]

I would've pinched the mum...

[HagOtheNorth]

Do you really think she was justified?
No, it's never OK to intentionally hurt a small child. You all sound vile adults.

[ChwatFeechers]

She honestly pinched him? Yeah, I'd have had to have been peeled off her if it had been my child.

[KoalaDownUnder]

Tell me you're kidding.

[KurriKurri]

Yeah its fine - I'm always pinching random kids when they get on my wick. Doesn't everyone?

If more people pinched children there'd be less people on benefits and we could use wee boys as chimney brushes - society has gone to hell in a handbasket.

[Gruntfuttock]

How did the boy react to being pinched?

[thecatfromjapan]

... and then, on the way out, there was a big van, and people with cattle-prods, and they were herding people into the an to be the audience for Jeremy Kyle.

It is, evidently, a slow, rainy day in the holidays. And the internet provides opportunities for idle hands.

[thecatfromjapan]

KurriKurri.

[Tequilashotfor1]

Yep I would have broke her fingers if she did that to one of mine

[ListenWillYou]

Soft play is causing a lot of anguish for mumsnetters this weekend. I think it's best avoided.

[SunshineBeaches]

Funny but yes unreasonable

[whattheseithakasmean]

Not unreasonable at all. I gave an OAP a chinese burn the other day - some of these defenseless types are just asking for it, really.

[Sparklingbrook]

Listen I agree. It's years since I suffered soft play but it seems to have got a whole lot worse.