To be sad at the amount of horrible parents out there (not a happy thread)

I dont think so, no. Just take some comfort in that there are many caring individuals like you out there who spot these things and potentially save or salvage a childs life.

You saw two people in bad places.

You have no idea of the time frame of behaviour, no idea of the back ground, no idea of medical issues - just a snapshot in time.

Did you offer to help or just judge?

Only you know the answer to that

I'm guilty of being horrid parent in public today. Cursed DD2(12) roundly for failing to follow simple instructions.

that's a silly question! of course you are not being unreasonable. Be kind to yourself X

My three year old is thin, covered in bruises from head to toe and usually (if we've been out for longer than an hour) wearing dirty clothes to boot.

He is not abused. He is just a three year old.

That would upset me, too, particularly the latter tale. YANBU.

But you didn't offer to help? or offer any comfort really?


My dad was very ill in hospital, I had a 12mo and was heavily pregnant. the cashier threw my change at me, I was holding 12mo by the hand, trying to put my purse away and pick up my shopping. 12mo went into that dead arm spin. I could have cried when someone snarled 'look at that' but I didn't, I got myself sorted out, and stalked after her and thanked her so fucking sarcastically for (not) helping me. A tiny bit of kindness would have gone a long way at that one moment in time. I'm not usually that weak, it was an aberration of circumstance, never repeated.

So again Op - what did you do to help either of the ladies you saw today?

I don't know why people are so keen to tell you that this is perfectly normal, their children bruise too and there are a million reasons why this is all just a snapshot blah blah. Every now and again I see something like this, that is just a jolt because you immediately recognize something isn't right- the look on the child's face, the slight cowering, the aggression you feel coming off the mum. There's no reason to think you imagined this, or that this is perfectly normal.

I have seen loads of kids shouted at by mums, I shout at my own. This is normal. I once followed a mum down the road (walking that way) who was saying such vitrolic things to her son, berating him in a way I have never heard I actually felt physically sick and it stayed in my mind for ages afterwards. I guess if I'd come on here, lots of people would have told me that they tell their children off in public and it was probably just a bad day. I really don't think so and most people can tell the difference.

OP, you don't know the ins and outs of what you've seen today, but you're not over-reacting. THe child abuse stats in this country are absolutely shocking. If you count neglect, as well as emotional, physical and sexual abuse, not to mention the number of children who are not directly abused but who are growing up in dysfunctional families, the number of children who are actually growing up in a stable, happy environment, is shockingly small. It's still a majority, but only just.

I hate it when people on threads like this start demanding that the OP should have offered to help or sarcastically asking if she did. What could she have done to help in either situation?

I was a horrible parent today, ds would not blow his nose so I stopped him in the middle of the path through the fete we were at and refused to move until he did. I shouted at him to for pretending to blow and not actually doing it. Oh well.

Bruises don't mean abusive or that anything is wrong OP, mine are covered in bruises from playing/falling over/out of trees/fighting between them/trampolines/jumping off swings ect ect

And- what help can you realistically offer, past trying to smile or catch their eye? They clearly don't give a shit about you or care what a stranger thinks. In the case of the lady I saw, I wondered whether to intervene, if she was drunk/on drugs or simply one of the nastiest people I'd ever encountered, but I don't think, apart from in MN world, going head to head with aggressive or drugged up or potentially ill parents is the best idea in the world or indeed would help their child. Do you really think bending down and saying (in what will be perceived as a patronising and interfering tone) 'are you ok' to the little child will make any difference to the awfulness of their life. If you know who they are or know where they go to school then possibly reporting them or telling the school is an option, but if it's just a snapshot of a few seconds, they are gone. If I'm sorry you had to see this OP, some children do really have shit lives.

And- no, I'm sure the Op wasn't talking about people shouting mildly at their children to blow their nose.

The thin two-three year old with bruises could be a perfectly normal very active child who is naturally thin and gets into scrapes, hence the bruising. I think an abuser would be more astute than to mark the child's face.

Some children can drive their mothers to distraction with their behaviour and just won't listen no matter how many times you try to reason with them or guide them towards better behaviour. The mother may well have lost her temper, but you have no idea how many times she may have tried to deal with it in other ways. The woman may have been at the end of her tether.

It's not possible in the space of a short ride in an elevator to judge the situation you witnessed.

Well, when I see harassed mums in queues etc, I usually offer to unpack their trollys on to the belt so they can deal with their child - but I'm odd like that - I remember what it was like being left to struggle.

There is always something you could have done - you could have smiled, gave a kind word, offered to help her with a buggy and toddler and shopping to the car. Not difficult is it? "you pick the little one up, I'll push your buggy, where are you parked"

So what holly could the op have done to offer to help? Bit flippant as there is nothing the op could do as the mother wasn't physically harming the child right there and whatever her circumstance it is doubtful the op offering some random "help" (whatever help you deem possible to a woman and child in a lift) to even a fantastic parent of a child simply playing up due to tiredbess would likely not have gone down well - the op acknowledges that she doesn't know the ins and hasn't publically berated the woman for her parenting skills

I think I just posted a rational and helpful solution

I am astonished at the amount of apologists for child abuse.

mumsy is right. You know when something isn't right. It might well be different set of cultural norms, but it is not right that a child cowers apologetically while a mother gets in their face.

Shame on you lot with your ooh could have been a bad day. You all know perfectly well there are good days and bad days, some bruising that's ok some thats not. Some shouting that is fine some that is not.

I think we would all process information at the same rate and come to pretty much the same conclusion. Yet another child living with a parent who can't manage themselves or their children adequately.

I have shouted at my child in public, he has had bruises, but I have never threatened him. Or made anyone fear for his safety.