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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

in asking your opinions about this news story ( girl attacked by 2 year old playmate)

186 replies

Crazyfatmamma · 21/12/2011 15:27

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2077039/Katie-Ann-Guttridge-3-beaten-black-blue-2-year-old-Leicester-nursery.html

Sorry daily mail article :)

OP posts:
OriginalJamie · 21/12/2011 15:30

Terrible injuries. Supervision must have been quite poor for this to be allowed to happen. Whilst I understand the mum's upset - well I can't really respect anyone who goes to the DM. See what kind of treatment the story gets? Chucky ?? Vile.

Kayano · 21/12/2011 15:32

A 2 year old has attacked 10 children?!

I don't agree with expulsion but after say ... 1 or 2 incidents why were they not monitored more closely? Surely to have injuries like that it wasn't just a normal child slapping incident, had to have went on a while :S

4madboys · 21/12/2011 15:34

sorry the adults are to blame here as there obviously wasnt enough supervision!

AMumInScotland · 21/12/2011 15:35

If this girl is attacking other children frequently, then surely the nursery ought to make sure she is supervised at all times? I know it can be difficult, but it sounds far beyond the normal range of prerschool behaviour.

TimothyClaypoleLover · 21/12/2011 15:38

Agree that the adults are totally at fault here and the nursery should be reported to Ofsted for failing to properly supervise children.

OriginalJamie · 21/12/2011 15:39

Timothy - love your name

kelly2000 · 21/12/2011 15:41

The violent child's mother needs to get ehr act together instead of saying she wnats nothing to do with it. She is a chidlminder yet pays out to send her child to nursery rather than have her with her and he rmindees, which makes me suspicious that the mother knows what she is like and does nto want her ruining her business. I certainly think she should be asked to leave, as she is not ready to be in nursery with other children yet. I also think social services should be speaking to the mother as this level of violence from such a young child is not normal. However the fact the nursury have allowed such severe attacks to occurr, and do not want to ask her to leave would ring alarm bells and I would remove my child from there. OFSTEd shoudl look at the nursery too, if you allowed injuries liek that to occurr in your own home you would be in big trouble so the nursery should be too as abuse is still abuse to the victim and the nursery are responisble for ensuring no child is abused in their care.

OriginalJamie · 21/12/2011 15:42

"Police were called in to investigate the assault but were powerless to act because the girl who attacked Katie is below the legal age of criminal responsibility - which in this country is 10 years old"

What the jeff! It sounds like the DM is a bit disappointed about that ....

bejeezus · 21/12/2011 15:45

How can a 2 year old have the strength to do that? And surely it would have taken some time? If she's known to be violent she should be watched closely. The child is not to blame at 2 years old, the nursery are. She shouldn't ne expelled for what she's done, but in her own interest find a better nursery which can help her over come this

CrotchFlakes · 21/12/2011 15:46

So 3 of the "attacks" were not seen by the staff? No one is watching over a girl who has reportedly attacked everyone else in the nursery? Something is not right here, unfortunately the article is insufficient.

OriginalJamie · 21/12/2011 15:46

kelly - "I want nothing to do with this" might mean "I don't want to contribute to a witch hunt by the DM and have nothing to say to you".

That would certainly be my response.

I do agree that the behaviour is extreme and the nursery isn't dealing with it adequately, though.

pizzatheaction · 21/12/2011 15:49

lol, kelly, i bet you love the dm. Grin

the child needs more supervision. end of.

the other 'attacks' are ludicrous. probably not even worth the paper they are written on. and other parents demanding she gets thrown out? unreal. i can't wait until one of their precious darlings gets called chucky in the national press.

tlak about witch hunt..

if they actually turned their energy towards ensuring this TWO YO gets the support she needs, instead of getting their 5 mins of fame, the child would be properly supervised.

running to the dm makes this mother look ridiculous. however much she's tousled her hair and got her slap on to pout for the cameras.

and as for the journo's stalking the 2yos mother, shame. on. you. leave her alone and find a rapist to harass.

abbierhodes · 21/12/2011 15:50

I agree with others...the nursery staff need investigating for poor supervision. It does also sound like an unusual level of violence...I'd say the 2 year old needs some form of professional assessment for SEN or an investigation into whether something in her homelife is causing this behaviour.
And shame on the parents who used the 'chucky' analogy. We're talking about a baby FFS!

Kayano · 21/12/2011 15:51

Everyone's rage is directed soley at a 2 year old and not at the nursery. Even if she went
I doubt it would improve supervision. The nursery sounds crap! I wouldn't be sending my child back there regardless of this other child!!!

Hmm at chucky - bloody vile

Also... I do think the girl may need some help/ supervision if her CM mother can't cope with her. It
Isn't exactly normal or acceptable. I wonder if that poor girl has suffered or witnessed abuse or something? It's very sad

Hulababy · 21/12/2011 15:53

If the little 2yo girl has a history of hurting other children why was she unsupervised int he nursery? I know nornally the odd thing will go unnoticed in nursery - well, anywhere tbh. But a little one with this kind of behavioural history - no, she should be being watched ALL the time.

I don't like the DM's take on it though. They are really making out this 2yo child to be evil and as for those referring to her as Chucky - horrible, This child has issues and needs them addressing, not having grown adults calling her names and labelling her. TBH the labelling will make matters far worse - a child who is told they are bad all the time will be just that!

But I have real sympathy for the 3yo little girl who has such horrible inuries. The poor child. And yes, if it was my child I would be so so cross, and hurt and upset, and very protetive of my child.

And of course the police can't do anything - how can they deal with a 2yo for goodness sake!!!

But I do think the 2yo's parents should be being spoken too, the child being referred and for now - the child not being in that setting.

SixFeetUnder · 21/12/2011 15:56

Totally agree with others, if she is known to have behavioural problems she should be supervised much more closely.

I had a similar situation in soft play when my eldest was 3, another boy just attacked him (sorry, no other words for it). I was sitting with my baby and saw him hitting my son but couldn't figure out how to get in to the blooming bit he was in! By the time I got to him his face was swollen, scratches all over his face and neck and his lip was burst. The other boy just carried on his attack the whole time whilst I was shouting at him to stop, he only moved when I was close enough to reach my (by this time hysterical) son. He was shaking like a leaf and had dirtied himself in sheer fright.

It is horrible when it's your child on the receiving end of the hitting but I don't think excluding the girl is the answer.

Hulababy · 21/12/2011 15:56

I do think that temporarily the 2y should be out of that setting. The bad reputation and treatment from the other parents alone would make me think that, it can't be doing the 2y much good tbh. I think she needs to come out, the parents need to look into her behaviour and what can be done, if anything, about it or some form of referral, and then a fresh start for the little one.

FreudianSlipper · 21/12/2011 15:56

what a sad story but i rather it not be in the national press. there is something serioulsy going wrong in this childs life that needs to be looked into

i feel sorry for all those involved a happy confident child does not act in such a way

Pagwatch · 21/12/2011 15:57

Bloody awful nursery. Their supervision must be beyond shit.

I would tell the journalist to sod off as well. I would want nothing to do with their awful 'reporting' either. Chucky - sheesh!

GlueSticksEverywhere · 21/12/2011 15:59

Wow that's awful! I feel very sorry for the other child as well and also her mum. The child clearly has problems and it must be awful for this to be in the newspaper for the mum. What good can come out of that?!

Kelly - DM reader perhaps?

Moominsarescary · 21/12/2011 16:02

The nursery are at fault, I wouldn't want my child there if they can't even properly supervise a two year old child

piprobincomesbobbobbobbinalong · 21/12/2011 16:02

I'm sad that the toddler has been badly hurt. It must have a been a frightening and painful experience.
I am depressed that a 2 year old has been let down by all the adults around her and is now being labelled as some sort of criminal.

kelly2000 · 21/12/2011 16:04

So because I think a child has the right to go to nursery without being abused I love the DM. the fact is the child needs to be seen by social services, this level of violence is not normal, and it is not just down to supervising her, but ensuring she gets the help to make her not want to attack people. yes, the people to blame are her parents and the nursery, but the other children have a right to not be attacked, and if that means she is excluded until she has resolved her problems then so be it. Do you think this will be tolerated in school?
Would you send your child there knowing there was a chance they could come back black and blue, just because you felt sorry for the attacker?

Timeforabiscuit · 21/12/2011 16:05

dons the flameproof suit if you strip out all of the description out of the article like suspected fractured eye socket, what she's doing is well within what a toddler can do.

If she has a problem with sharing or "playing nicely" her mother in all probability wanted to get her socialised for want of a better word before she got to school where she could do some real damage not sharing the sissors.

My dd was bitten on the back - full hannibal lecter job - and I was absolutely fuming, at absolutely anything or anyone who would dare to suggest dd shouldn't be completely safe.

The next week she managed to knock herself out running into a chair complete with in air somersault.

Nursery Ofsted rating was outsanding - but a toddler is quicker than a grown up

Pagwatch · 21/12/2011 16:06

I wouldn't send my child there because they clearly make no attempt to supervise the children. Nothing to do with any other child attending.