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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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To think there was something disturbing about this boy?

252 replies

MadameOvary · 25/08/2013 19:28

Posting here so you can all give me a good slap and tell me not to be such an arse if I am BU.
DD, DP and I were at barbie at weekend with his two DD's. Lots of other parents with their DC. First I saw this boy is when DD was playing with a toy house. He kept running his car all over it. DD asked him to stop but he just ignored her and carried on. It wasn't her toy and I took the view that she should really share it as there was lots of kids there, but she wasn't having any of it.

I asked the boy, who was about 6 or 7, if he would play round the house instead of all over it but he just looked right through me. DD was getting really upset and trying to physically move his hand away but he was just carrying on. DD can be a bit funny about sharing so I didn't want to make a scene but had no clue what to do beyond taking the toy away. Fortunately at that point the boy's father came over and called him away, saying that he shouldn't be playing with doll's houses Hmm

Later DP's DD came over and told me about this rude boy who had pushed her off a swing and said "Are you blind"? when walking behind her. I asked what he looked like and she described someone similar to this boy but as there were others who fitted the description I didn't want to jump to conclusions.

Next incident I witnessed was the boy trying to get under the table where some of the girls had made a den. He ignored their requests to go away until they were literally screaming at him, and still seemed unfazed. He seemed to have no concept of personal space and it appeared their distress left him completely unmoved. Again some parents had to intervene.

Final thing I witnessed was outside. He was trying to grab a bag of sweets from this girl who was carrying it. Again he ignored her telling him to leave her alone. He grabbed at the bag and she tried to push him away. He then hit her on the cheek. I shouted at him to stop. He just stood there with a faint smirk on his face. Completely unmoved. At that point his Dad came out and I told him what happened. The Dad was suprised and shocked. The boy only said, quite calmly "It wasn't on the face" Hmm The Dad then asked the girls what happened and they told him the same. At that point the Dad took the boy to his car to give him (I presume) a good talking to.

While they were there I asked the girl was ok. She was fine - I was more upset than her I think!

They got out of the car at the same time we were leaving, and DP's DD said "That's the boy that was horrible to us"

So what I want to know is, am I BU/small-minded/naive in being freaked out by his behaviour? I'm around kids a lot and nothing much fazes me. Quite a few kids I know have SEN or ASD traits and I never automatically assume a kid is being "naughty", esp if they're distressed. But the way this child just stood calmly in the midst of all the chaos he was creating was quite unnerving.

OP posts:
Lizzylou · 25/08/2013 19:51

What an awful lot of fuss about nothing.
Your Dd didn't share, do you think one of the parents at the bbq are starting threads about selfish girls?Hmm

StephenFrySaidSo · 25/08/2013 19:51

i'm not sure what was disturbing about that. what did you think was disturbing OP? do you think he might have a triple 6 tattooed on him somewhere?

YouTheCat · 25/08/2013 19:51

How can anyone call a child they don't know a 'brat' or 'little shit'?

If that boy does have some kind of SN then he's going to have a lot to contend with, especially socially. How about teaching children to have a bit of compassion and treat others how they would want to be treated?

NeoMaxiZoomDweebie · 25/08/2013 19:52

stephen oh the OP had a "feeling" about him...so you know...he must be evil or summat.

NeoMaxiZoomDweebie · 25/08/2013 19:53

YoutheCat exactly. If people had three seconds of feeling the dread which my friend feels in social situations when her little boy doesn't respond "correctly" to things then they'd be a lot kinder.

Footface · 25/08/2013 19:53

What in earth was he doibg wrong by rubbing the car over the dolls house? Because surely he was just playing too!

Who was playing with the dolls house first?

I think Yabu to be disturbed by it

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 25/08/2013 19:53

I will get flamed for mentioning it but a lot of these behaviours scream ASD to me..the "looking right through you" especially.

Of course it may not be the case either, but I think I will hide the thread before even more people call him a "brat" and "little shit"..

I know quite a few parents with boys with autism who would act just like this and have a hard time from judgey types IRL who think their kids are brats and dont see their issues so I suspect this thread will upset quite a few people.

NeoMaxiZoomDweebie · 25/08/2013 19:53

And I KNOW that some kids are just naughty. But many have issues which cause them to stand out and others to reject them...over and over and over and over again.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 25/08/2013 19:55

Yes..what YouTheCat said.

Some children find it hard to learn the social rules.

My DD is nearly 7 and will go up to babies and take their toys.

She isnt a little shit thoughts

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 25/08/2013 19:55

*though

Footface · 25/08/2013 19:55

Next incident I witnessed was the boy trying to get under the table where some of the girls had made a den. He ignored their requests to go away until they were literally screaming at him, and still seemed unfazed. He seemed to have no concept of personal space and it appeared their distress left him completely unmoved. Again some parents had to intervene.

Sounds like he just wanted to play! And your dd would let him. Maybe it's dd that's disturbed

Spottypurse · 25/08/2013 19:55

I actually feel really sorry for him.

Your DD wouldn't share. And you excused and allowed that. And made excuses for her.

The pushing - you don't know who it was.

The under the table den - the girls were horrible.

And the sweets. It was a BBQ kids get excited. He wanted sweets The girl wouldn't share.

And you're gloating he got "a good talking to" and posting on here wanting validation that he's Damien from the Omen-esque.

Poor wee chap Sad

NeoMaxiZoomDweebie · 25/08/2013 19:56

Of course she isn't Fanjo. People who can't see beyond their own noses though...they're something else. Why can't people use some imagination? It gets to me hugely that people STILL think ill of children who can't always choose the correct response.

MadameOvary · 25/08/2013 19:57

Why do people always assume that people who post about other kids think their own are perfect? Mine certainly bloody isn't. She's five with all the attendant nonsense. I'm trying to do my best, but fucking hell it's hard. I don't know why this kid's behaviour stuck in my head, but I knew that posting on here would set me straight. Grin

OP posts:
LEMisdisappointed · 25/08/2013 19:58

Did you check his scalp for the marks of bealzebub?

Spottypurse · 25/08/2013 19:58

Oh and now it's funny and a big grin?

Lets just carry on minimising the judgeypanting and making the wee boy the bad one and not your DD who behaved badly. And you allowed it.

I'm out.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 25/08/2013 19:58

Yes...surely also saying "are you blind" for no reason is also a minor red flag..

But seems not

NeoMaxiZoomDweebie · 25/08/2013 19:59

It wasn't to do with assuming Madame...it was to do with the way you described intervening in your DDs inflexible way of playing with the house and not letting the boy join in.

LegoAcupuncture · 25/08/2013 19:59

Just because you know a few kids with SEN and ASD does not make you an expert. Can I refer you here. I find that quite offensive that you'd automatically associate ASD with disturbing and naughty.

Wrt the little boy, he wasnt the oly one in the wrong and he did get told off or taken away on bot occasions so I can't see what your problem is.

StayAwayFromTheEdge · 25/08/2013 19:59

He's 6 and behaving like a 6 year old boy who is not being included. Left to his own devices in this situation my 6 old boy would ensure that everyone else was a miserable as him.

NeoMaxiZoomDweebie · 25/08/2013 20:00

Edge yes and my 5 year old would be in tears if she was met with such unfriendly behaviour.

Spottypurse · 25/08/2013 20:00

One last thing

The swing incident. Is it possible that your Darling Perfect Angelic like DD might not be telling the whole truth and maybe just maybe the boy was waiting for a turn and not getting fair shares? Hence his "are you blind"

MadameOvary · 25/08/2013 20:01

Bloody hell spotty...gloating? Hardly! I was glad the dad intervened because I felt clueless as how to handle it. If anything I feel embarrassed and ashamed!

OP posts:
Footface · 25/08/2013 20:02

So how am did you deal with your dd that wouldn't share or let others play the game?

Spottypurse · 25/08/2013 20:03

Can I suggest you look to the behaviour of your DD before you continue to judge others.

And yes "a good talking to" suggests to me you felt it was warranted, and the use of that phrase smacks of gloating to me.