Woman smacked her son around the head in front of me today

[LindorDoubleChoc]

I was standing out in the street in a very wealthy area of London today. A typically upper middle class mother and her son (probably about 7 or 8?) walked past. He had obviously annoyed her, whingeing about something no doubt. She smacked him round the head! I was so shocked!

I didn't say anything and I hate myself for it. Would you have done, honestly?

Omg

I kinda agree i know it sounds bad.😬
But i got spat at by a 10 year old and his mum said nothing me and some other folk got called a old bunch of cu*t by some girls that was about 12-13 as we was at the bus stop i said if you was mine you had a clip up the ear young lady she looked laugh and said ive you done for assault.
Gosh the other people at the stop were gob smacked as was i.

I also kind of agree, kids today are generally rude, disobedient and disrespectful and I can't help but think a firmer hand from a younger age would nip this in the bud.
Behaviour in schools would have you realise society has gone horribly wrong as far as child rearing in concerned over the last 20 years or so.
I am not suggesting anyone should turn a blind eye to blatant abuse against a very young child, however if I witnessed a parent physically chastising a naughty child I would keep well out of it.

Yes I did the same - woman was hitting four year old child round the head and I said something to her. She chased me down the street with her fist to the street. I had a baby in a pushchair and two older children with me. Fortunately she was a school mum and I was in such a state by the time I got to school that the teacher asked what was wrong and I was able to let them know so hopefully they followed up. She died a few years later, I often wonder what became of the family/ kids.

Why does it matter that you were in an Upper Middle Class area or whatever it is that you wrote? Is it only the peasants in Croydon that puts their hands on their children? Weird

Agreed, police / teachers etc. All used to call out shitty behaviour.. alot less SEN too 😂

Yes this.
I think I would have said something. Hitting a child is never acceptable whatever the circumstances.

very wealthy area of London today. A typically upper middle class mother

what difference does it make where they were or what they looked like?... I'll get shot down for this, but there is such a thing as 'parental chastisment' BUT

not a clip round the ear... not any kind of violence for that matter, but sometimes it happens, unacceptable yes... but especially not round the head, could cause any manner of damage...

That used to be called a clip round the ear I believe

Hmm, I've been the child in this situation and honestly, I wouldn't say anything.

My dad was so comfortable battering me, my brother and my mum that he didn't care who else was there. One day my mum's boss came round to the house to collect some paperwork. Now, my dad had never met this man before but still hit me, hard, across the head in front of him. I was about 8 I think. The man instantly had a go at my dad, I escaped to my room.

On the one hand I was so happy that someone had spoken up in my defence (I know it was the 1970s and things were different then, but we were so obviously malnourished, nearly silent and permanently wary, yet not a neighbour, a teacher, a relative, no-one did anything to help us) but on the other hand I knew I'd pay for it later because my dad was embarrassed.

I'm so thankful every day for my wonderful DH. We met as teenagers at school and have been together ever since, 44 years and counting.

This was over 30 years ago,I worked in a shop and a woman took her kid out to the front door of shop and yarked him so hard round the head it lifted him off his feet,I intervened and surprise surprise I got the ,you canna tell me fit to dae WI my bairn and much swearing.ive never forgotten about that.

I once said something when I saw a woman smack her toddler round the legs. I was mug younger and a lot shier so it took a lot for me to say something. She instantly was defensive, which I had expected, but then became really offensive and got so loud. Her partner appeared from elsewhere in the shop and he had a horrible go at me. He was pointing and jabbing his finger at me, swearing. Meanwhile the toddler was roaring and mum was shouting. People just stood and watched. They stormed off and once they were out of the shop I just burst into tears.

I felt really stupid for putting myself and my toddler in danger and then worried that I'd just sent that toddler home to a man with an awful temper in a clear state of annoyance.

A bystander said to call the police but I just wanted to get away.