At toddler group with DD, there was a small boy (maybe around 3 years old) that had interacted with DD a couple of times. He was trying to engage people in play (adults as well as children) so I played with him a little then had to move away after DD moved to a different activity.
I'm not quite sure what happened next but a much bigger boy did something he shouldn't, his mum went to intervene and the small boy went bright red, and aimed a kick at the big boy. The mum turned round and shouted NO! and pulled the small boy away by the arm. The small boy burst into hysterical tears, frantically looked round and then dashed over to me with his arms outstretched. I instinctively scooped him into a hug and rubbed his back while he sobbed on my shoulder. I looked round for an adult and one of the play group supervisors brought his mum (she had been supervising a younger sibling) so I whispered in the boys ear that she was there and he went off happily with mum again.
I did feel very awkward sat there hugging this boy that I had only clapped eyes on 5 minutes before! So should I have fended him off or was it ok to comfort him seeing as he approached me? And isn't it unusual for a child to go to a relative stranger for comfort?
In the interests of not drip feeding, I think he may have been autistic, partly because of the fact that he came to me for comfort and partly because of the way he played (mainly spinning objects and rolling cars down a slope). If he is autistic would that affect whether or not IWBU?
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AIBU?
To have hugged this small boy?
74 replies
CrohnicallyAspie · 27/07/2015 13:30
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