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Original poster

Parent takes toy away from my child.

56 replies

Autumn777 · 18/08/2018 22:03

We were staying at Thomas Land recently and my children were playing with one of the tables with track on them. No trains are provided so my children took their own.

A man with a boy came over to the table, the boy didn’t have a train so the man just took it out of my child’s hand & passed it to his boy! I went over to explain that it was actually my child’s and he apologised and thought they belonged to the table.

Am I wrong to think that it is inappropriate to ever snatch a toy from someone else’s child? How would others have dealt with this. He apologised to my child. Just think his behaviour as aggressive.

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 18/08/2018 22:04

Of course you're not wrong Confused

BigBlueBubble · 18/08/2018 22:05

How awful! I would certainly have told him what I thought of him for taking a toy away from the child! Even if the train did belong to the table that still doesn’t give him the right to take it from a child!

NewYearNewMe18 · 18/08/2018 22:06

Did he 'snatch' or take ?

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Original poster
Autumn777 · 18/08/2018 22:11

He said ‘I think it’s my sons turn now’ and took it from my child’s hand. I then went over and had words. Can’t believe an adult would do this. I expect this from a child but an adult??

OP posts:
Disfordarkchocolate · 18/08/2018 22:13

Weird, not something I would ever have done.

Original poster
Autumn777 · 18/08/2018 22:16

Part of me regrets not being more stronger, I’m far too polite! Just so shocked! Wish I could go back and really tell him off now!

OP posts:
BewareOfDragons · 18/08/2018 22:16

I think I would have lost the plot had someone did that to one of my children when they were small. Outrageous!

YouCantStopTheSignal · 18/08/2018 22:18

If I thought they belonged to the table and my DC was waiting for a turn then I'd tell them to wait. If they were getting impatient then I might say something along the lines of "please can my DC be next to have a turn when you're finished your turn" but I'd never take a toy off a child and give it to my child. He was out of line.

Original poster
Autumn777 · 18/08/2018 22:21

He was. Wish I had had a go now. He said I’m sorry I didn’t realise. What a horrible man!

OP posts:
HolyMountain · 18/08/2018 22:23

What do you wish you’d done instead?

You went and told the Dad it was your boy’s train and he apologised for taking it from his hand.

All well I reckon.

BertrandRussell · 18/08/2018 22:23

I suppose if he thought they belonged to the table and his child had been waiting a long time and if he said it nicely I can see how it might be OK.

Rebecca36 · 18/08/2018 22:27

You're not wrong but he apologised so end of.

BigBlueBubble · 18/08/2018 22:29

Did he 'snatch' or take ?
How is that relevant? Both are wrong. If someone else is using something you wait your turn!

TittyGolightly · 18/08/2018 22:32

I’d have stalked him and taken his picnic/cuppa/ice cream off him in the same manner later on.

InDubiousBattle · 18/08/2018 22:34

He thought that the toy 'belonged' with the track and that your ds had been playing with it for a while. He apologised when you explained and said that he didn't realise the train was your son's so whilst he didn't cover himself in glory I wouldn't worry about it too much.

Original poster
Autumn777 · 18/08/2018 22:35

The thing is they were my child’s train. He assumed something wrongly. I’m annoyed he just took them out of my child’s hand, I was nearby and he could of said something, he should not have taken something. I’m far too polite! Went up and said they are my child’s trains, you can buy one from the shop. I should of said, you had no right to take my child’s toy away like that. It’s not something I would do.

OP posts:
Worieddd · 18/08/2018 22:38

Wow I’d be fuming too op! He was bang out of order.

BigBlueBubble · 18/08/2018 22:48

He thought that the toy 'belonged' with the track and that your ds had been playing with it for a while
Still doesn’t make it ok for him to take away a toy another child was using even if it did belong with the track. You wouldn’t take something from an adult because you thought they’d had it long enough and you wanted a go.

InDubiousBattle · 18/08/2018 22:58

Of course you're right Big, he was out of line, but apologised to op and her ds and I think she handled the situation perfectly well. I would have done the same as you op.

RiverTam · 18/08/2018 23:02

It sounds like you expected the man to be a mind reader. Which is pretty unreasonable of you.

For goodness sake, it’s sorted, he apologised. I can’t think why you’ve started a thread about it.

BertrandRussell · 18/08/2018 23:03

I'm surprised people feel so strongly about this. It sounds like a misunderstanding- I think I would have assumed the trains belonged with the track too-and it was sorted out and apologized for. Can't see the issue.

ZanyMobster · 18/08/2018 23:04

I get it, I can't imagine a grown adult taking a toy from a child's hand, he should have asked if his DC could play with it now, not just take it. So rude.

SadieHH · 18/08/2018 23:08

Doesn't really matter who the train belonged to. You don't just take snatch a toy from a strange child just because your child wants it. You wait your turn, and if the turn is a long time coming you locate the parent of said child and ask.

TheFairyCaravan · 18/08/2018 23:09

What a mountain out of a molehill.

You explained, he apologised and gave the train back that’s the end of it surely? Confused

BigBlueBubble · 18/08/2018 23:15

It’s not about whether the train belonged with the track though. It’s about the fact that a grown man took a toy from a small child, because he thought his son’s right to play with it trumped that child’s right to play with it.

There’s no reason why his child should be prioritised over other children, it’s selfish and mean. You can’t go around taking stuff from other people just because you want it. Even if the stuff is public property. You wait your turn! If he tried the same trick with an adult he’d probably get punched.