I saw a woman hurt her child

[theodora]

A woman with a small baby in a pram was struggling to deal with her 2/3 year old's behaviour. He was crying and shouting and rocking the table with their drinks on. She picked up his juice carton and hit him on the side of his head with it. He ran out onto the pavement crying and she followed with the pram. I didn't see what happened next as I was busy with my own children, but as we left the cafe, she twisted or pinched his hand.

At the time I didn't know what to do to help them both, so did nothing, but thinking about it later, I wished I'd said 'you seem to be having a hard time, can I help?' WWYD?

I don't think there's much you can do

As we walked away my 10 year old was upset by seeing this and said 'he is being hurt, we must do something. My teacher says it is as bad to see bullying and walk away as it is to bully someone'. So we talked about it all the way home but don't feel I gave a satisfactory answer for doing nothing.

Thanks for responding, Mary. Guess I was hoping people would have some ideas of how to help them both, but maybe you're right - there's nothing we can do.
Still wish I'd said something kind, though. Even if she'd bitten my head off, maybe later she might have felt better because of it?

I wonder why there's been such silence on this one.

yes, I think had you said anything you will have got a mouthful of abuse but yes, at least you would feel better. No idea what would have happened afterwards, but yes, at least you'd have tried.

I think you're right. Maybe we should all be braver.

i think the mum had a moment of madness the stress of baby and toddler got too much. we can all sometimes be guilty of not thinking before we act. it is not nice to see the little boy being hurt and if it had continued i probably would have stepped in and said something.
I'm not defending the women or saying hurting a child is OK if you loose your temper but sometimes you loose yourself. the mum most probably feels guilty about her actions. it it a difficult situation to be in because you dont want to stick your nose in but you also dont want to let a child be hurt when you could help.

Sadly there is very little you can do in such a situation. If you say something, you might hope you have shamed the mother into rethinking her actions but it's unlikely, really, that this will happen.

:( I hope she was just stressed out and that is not a normal occurrence