To think this was an overreaction on the other mother'a part?

[Stillhopingstillhere]

Ds (4.3) was on a big bouncy castle this afternoon at a fete. It was quite busy and a bit raucous.

At one point as ds jumped through a tunnel bit another child who looked to be about 8 jumped through the other way and pushed ds out of the way, cauding him to fall backwards.Ds is never one to be slighted and he subsequently followed this child and pushed him back. I shouted over to him to stop it (was somewhat busy and chaotic!) but ds heard me and duly came away. I told him if he pushed again he'd have to come off.

They bounced for another few minutes and I thought no more of it and then they got off. As we walked off in the crowd someone tapped me and it was the mother of the other child who said 'excuse me your son has just punched my son, what are you going to do about it?'
I was really taken aback so just apologised and made ds apologise and then we left. I don't think it could have happened without me seeing as I kept a close watch mainly because ds was one of the smallest on there and I was concerned he might get jumped on (at one point he was accidentally kicked in the face) but I guess it was busy. However it is not ds's style to punch, push yes, punch no. Ds said straight away 'I'm sorry I pushed him but he pushed me first. I didn't punch him.'

AIBU to think 'get a grip' especially as her son actually pushed mine first and was probably twice his age and size? Obviously my ds shouldn't have pushed back but she seemed really cross. My only other thought was that it was another child who had punched her son and he assumed it was mine because mine has pushed him previously.

I probably need to get a grip too but it has retrospectively annoyed me!

your son apologised - id have got my son to apologise then told her that her kid pushed mine and see if she would apologise to mine. that could just descend into tit for tat though so you did the right thing.

Annoying though!
To be honest my son is regularly pushed by other kids so consequently now pushes back.
If a little one half his size and age gave him a shove I don't think I'd bother too much!

i think you and your ds handled the situation well. your ds told the truth. i'd be retrospectively annoyed too, but not much point in getting into an argument with her.

We were with my parents and they'd witnessed the whole thing too, they didn't see ds do anything apart from push back either.
My dad said I should have told her to get lost! Not sure that would have helped!

Bouncy castles are the devils own, DD chipped a tooth colliding with a lad once.

Accidentally pushing, punching and head butting is normal isn't it?

No point in getting into who did what, unless you saw it or it's particularly nasty (like a deliberate drop kick).

So SWBU to grass your DS up to you when her DS sounded just as 'bad', and they were on a bouncy castle.

Don't let it get to you

Let it go, your DS handled it well

I know agent, I was like 'but it's a bouncy castle, there were millions of kids on there (probably against health and safety) surely it's just what they do?!'

It sounds as if you guys did the right thing. The other mother's ds probably didn't tell her the whole story. I probably let too many of these things go, her protective instincts have come out. Let it go coz there will be more to come.

I will move on and try and put her smug my son's an angel expression from my mind.

Seriously though, did she not look at my ds and think 'he's half the size.' When hers pushed mine he fell over, when mine pushed hers it had zero effect!

So next time (if unfortunately it arises you will be able to say it). Its lovely to know your little boy can tell you the truth, hers didn't.

So her 8 year old has gone running to mummy because a small 4 year old pushed him? I bet he's a delight just like his mum.

Sounds like your son handled it brilliantly. My 1yr old was jumped on from a great height by a much older child on a bouncy castle. Could have been very nasty, but wasn't, mother told off her daughter, I said nothing more. I would have been silenced by this woman. Your son will go far!