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Which child is wrong-er

269 replies

Dancingwithmyselfoohooh · 22/09/2026 22:45

Know it's not a word lol

Child A: Breaks something in their own pencil case by accident, is a bit upset and is trying to fix it

Child B: wants to know what happened, asks child A many times/repetitive asking and trying to look

Child A: Becomes fed up of Child A constantly asking, pushes them away in the chest (quite gently)

Child B: Doesn't like being pushed, pushes Child A back much harder, child A nearly falls over a chair, starts to cry and become very upset

Who is in the wrong here?

OP posts:
TheEdgyMoose · 23/09/2026 07:25

BooksandSlippers · 23/09/2026 07:06

Both are equally wrong as both used their hands to try and solve their problem. No other answer to this, no excuse for either of them as it is simply unacceptable to use your hands on another person.

I think, in this case, Child A should have gone to a teacher for help. But I generally don't condone using your hands as a last resort to defend yourself or your personal space. Child B was persistent and Child A had already tried moving away from him but he followed. I think a gentle shove was a proportional reaction. The alternative (aside from going to a teacher) was to just put up with it and keep getting hassled. I don't think anyone should have to do that.

Lovingapeacefulgarden · 23/09/2026 07:24

Child A shouldn't have pushed the other but child B is an absolute pain and winds kids up till they react. My middle child went to school with a child like child B and most of the kids hated her.

She loved to be involved with everything, pushed other kids to breaking point then got upset when they reacted. She did it to my son a few times though he never pushed or hit her. He did tell her to go away.

I taught my son to tell a teacher when she winding him up. That worked until one academic year she was teachers pet and no matter how many kids and parents complained about her the teacher didnt believe she was an issue.

I would speak to the teacher and take full responsibility for your child hitting but make it clear they should not have to tolerate another child behaving like that towards them.

Globules · 23/09/2026 07:23

Jiggerypokesy · 23/09/2026 07:16

Why? Child A handled the situation in an unhealthy way - by pushing. But Child B also handled the situation in an unhealthy way - by pushing back harder. They both need to learn that dealing with frustration with physical violence is not acceptable.

Also you’re giving a very bad message that the original behaviour of ignoring Child A’s boundaries is just fine and dandy. Whereas he should learn that that’s unacceptable too.

What do you think the chat with child B would be about...?

AmusedMember · 23/09/2026 07:22

Child A can't go around pushing people, regardless of how gentle it may be!

Child A started it... Child B reacted! Yes, she may of been annoyed by the constant asking, but if they had just said what had happened it could've all been avoided. Both in the wrong!

Timeforachange26 · 23/09/2026 07:22

Dancingwithmyselfoohooh · 22/09/2026 22:53

Secret squirrel?

It was just their thing, child A said what happened, child B keen to know more and wanted to see/be involved

But then child A is in the wrong for pushing child B first

Ohdearwhatsthisthen · 23/09/2026 07:20

My kids do this shit at home all the time. I always tell them that they lost the moral high ground the moment they made it turn physical. Pushing / hitting (or whatever) is never acceptable, no matter how annoying their sibling is being. Then I tell the other sibling off for being annoying. This is standard kid stuff, no?

Jiggerypokesy · 23/09/2026 07:16

Globules · 22/09/2026 23:08

Then it's child A.

They're old enough to know not to push. However gentle it was.

As a primary teacher of many years, child A would have had the consequence in my classtoom and child B would have had a talk with me.

Edited

Why? Child A handled the situation in an unhealthy way - by pushing. But Child B also handled the situation in an unhealthy way - by pushing back harder. They both need to learn that dealing with frustration with physical violence is not acceptable.

Also you’re giving a very bad message that the original behaviour of ignoring Child A’s boundaries is just fine and dandy. Whereas he should learn that that’s unacceptable too.

BlackCat14 · 23/09/2026 07:12

Too much head space from both parents over something so minor.

Both children are wrong. Child A should’ve just said “I broke my ruler” instead of ignoring the other child. Child B was being incredibly annoying though, granted. But Child A chose to push first, then turned on the tears when she got pushed back. Child B shouldn’t have pushed back/pushed so hard, but Child A did get physical first 🤷🏻‍♀️

MuchAdoAboutSomething26 · 23/09/2026 07:11

I have a ‘child B’ type. I’d tell him that if he continues to ignore someone’s verbal instructions, then it is possible they might resort to being physical. I’d be very cross with HIM for the disproportionate shove back. Especially as a male shoving a female. It might not matter size wise at 8 yo but it will at 28 and he needs to know now.

Letsbe · 23/09/2026 07:10

So many things to learn from this. Things get broken or dont work which makes us feel.annoyed with other peoole. Seperate our annoyance with the event from others.

We all do things we regret and the best way forward is to say sorry. People we like some of the time can be irritating at others. If you start pushing you may get pushed back. Thjngs that make us feel very upset at the time really dont matter long term.

TheEdgyMoose · 23/09/2026 07:08

Ignoring the potential bias in the story and assuming it did happen just as you say...

Child B needs to respect other people's boundaries and personal space. If child A had lashed out right away it would be different. But she didn't. She tried to move away and was followed. Child A has a right to her personal space and she has a right to defend this.

Child B was in the wrong.

BooksandSlippers · 23/09/2026 07:06

Both are equally wrong as both used their hands to try and solve their problem. No other answer to this, no excuse for either of them as it is simply unacceptable to use your hands on another person.

gothicbat · 23/09/2026 07:06

Child A.

Children are naturally inquisitive, so while it’s understandable that Child A was annoyed by child B, you can’t just push others who annoy you!

NewGoldFox · 23/09/2026 07:04

Child a started the pushing. People are annoying you don’t push them.

Thunderdcc · 23/09/2026 07:03

My youngest is like Child B. Cannot read the room, if someone is upset about something then funnily enough they're unlikely to want to answer endless questions about it.

Child B started it, deserved to be pushed away and needs to learn to give people space, they don't have an automatic right to find out every tiny little detail of other people's lives.

2children3dogs · 23/09/2026 06:58

Child B is clearing irritating but Child A was the one that turned the altercation physical.
It's irrelevant that it 'wasn't a hard push'.

Your child is going to have to learn to deal with annoying people in life without touching them.

BreatheAndFocus · 23/09/2026 06:53

I think Child A is the wrong-er, as you say. Child A was upset at themselves breaking something so took that upset out on Child B by being awkward about answering their question and then shoving them. Child B shouldn’t have shoved back but it was probably done instinctively after being shoved themselves.

MyEasterBonnet · 23/09/2026 06:52

While child b was annoying by repeatedly asking, child A was the first to get physical and I don’t think it matters how gentle they were and how much harder child B pushed, they were still the first to push and so shouldn’t be surprised or angered when pushed back.

Exhaustedbones · 23/09/2026 06:51

Clearly child A is yours. You say she pushed child B 'gently'. You have no idea if that is accurate. If child B was yours, your post would have read 'child a pushed child b, unprovoked and child b was only trying to help'. Child b saw child a upset, so wanted to help, she got pushed and then simply defended herself by pushing back.'

rosagarten · 23/09/2026 06:50

Child B is the wronger because he has pushed non physically first by not respecting her desire to be left alone to deal with her pencil case issue. He needs to learn how to read non verbal signals and respect other people's right to space. Child A needs to learn how to say "go away" firmly without resorting to shoving.

The parent of Child B needs to pull back from micromanaging even if she thinks her child is the least in the wrong here (I can see where he gets his pushiness!). The parent of Child A needs to encourage her child to handle people who push her boundaries.

The whole thing is a storm in a teacup but it's funny how the parents are now mirroring their children with Child B's mum getting in your ear and pestering you with phone calls. I personally would not pursue it any further with anyone (apart from talking to your own child) and if the other mother pursues it, I would be pushing back a bit (non physically, of course!)

CoventryCity · 23/09/2026 06:48

HelmholtzWatson · 23/09/2026 06:25

This. Plus, I'm assuming you are basing this on Child A's version of events. So, what we get is your version of Child A's version of events.

It was only a Gentle push mum!

Weekmindedfool · 23/09/2026 06:48

Morecoffeeneedef · 23/09/2026 05:17

It's not always helpful to assume that one child is right and the other wrong, or wronger.

This

Butchyrestingface · 23/09/2026 06:48

You said child A (painfully obvious this was your child) was upset by the broken object in their pencil case.

Could be child B was reacting to the distress in a clumsy way and trying to help. For whatever reason, A wouldn’t tell them what the issue was. That’s always going to be curious to little kids if another child is visibly distressed in front of them. They didn’t read A’s cues well but they’re 7.

A is ‘wrong-ER’ because they pushed first. A case of FAFO for them. But they’re are also 7 so hardly helpful to try and unravel who is the most wrong and assign blame over an ordinary bit of pushing and shoving in young kids. Hopefully they’re both over it now?

The other mother shouldn’t be texting you about something so trivial.

CoventryCity · 23/09/2026 06:48

Child A. Started the physical aggression. Both wrong tho obviously.

Weekmindedfool · 23/09/2026 06:47

LivingTheDreamish · 23/09/2026 03:57

It absolutely does matter what sex they are. If I was raising a boy he'd be told he doesn't hit/shove girls back no matter what.

Antiquated simplistic sexist rubbish

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