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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Wibu? Dragging my son across the room?

317 replies

FuryFowler · 01/09/2015 19:48

My son is 6 and was being a pain at bedtime this evening. I asked him repeatedly to come to bed. I just kept getting an outright no from him as he lay on the sofa. I asked and asked nicely, then I told him, then I shouted at him. Still saying no and basically being rude. I threatened him with dragging him off the sofa to his room, he still refused. So with 2yr old in arms I pulled him off the sofa by his arm and dragged him halfway across the room. I wasn't rough and was going to stop by the doorway in the hope that he would get the message and get up and walk.
I was stopped by my husband who yelled in my face scaring my 2yr old, shouting that "if I ever see you do anything like that again I'll slap you across this room!" He then took both crying kids off me, took them in to the bedroom and closed the door.
I was shocked. I'm now sitting in the car outside not wanting to go back in.
Not sure what to do now? Wibu?..... Tag, I've never dragged him before, he's never been so resistant before and my dh has never yelled like that before Sad

OP posts:
EnthusiasmDisturbed · 02/09/2015 21:43

Really so few parents on here has got totally fed up with their child who is being stubborn and awkward and dragged their child from a shop, to another room or whatever I find that very hard to believe Hmm

You dh was being unreasonable he should have been helping you in the first place but info react to when ds is told off by someone else I get very protective so I get why he reacted in such but he should never have threatened you

It's done I assume it's not something that you do on a regular occurrence and your ds will hopefully get to bed when his told famous last words

WhoTheFuckIsSimon · 02/09/2015 21:47

aeroflot. Slightly, because the boy is older and says he doesn't want to go back with his mum and wants to live with his dad (strained teen relations).

But putting that aside SS are now saying they may take her younger child away if after the investigation concludes they decide she's not protecting him from harm.

It was only one incident. Child had some friction burns from clothing due to being dragged.

marmitemofo · 02/09/2015 21:49

seagull I'm not sure if that was a response to me but I guess my point is why is it OK to say 'humans aren't perfect' about OPs behaviour whilst at the same time villifying her DH? Because if you read all the messages on this thread, there are a fair few like that.

As I also said in an earlier post, this sounds like a one off for this family and I think given the fact they have all apologised, it shouldn't be made into a big deal and they can move on. Perhaps OP and her DH need to work through some underlying issues, perhaps not, that's for them to know - certainly not us who just have a few posts from OP to go on. I just think it's problematic to blame DH for OPs behaviour as some posters have done.

WhoTheFuckIsSimon · 02/09/2015 21:51

I have to say ive been stunned by SS reaction to my friend. I'm not condoning what happened. No child should be dragged across the floor. But I never thought that things would go this far. Ive seen court papers/medical reports, etc so really don't think there's other stuff going on.

SeagullSal · 02/09/2015 21:53

Whothefuck - that's majorly different.

A teenage child saying they no longer want to live with DM.

It couldn't be more different.

I am taking a leap of faith here but given how upset OP is this child is very very loved and it would damage him irrevocably to take him away from his mum and dad who love him.

EnthusiasmDisturbed · 02/09/2015 21:56

WTFIS do you know how many hoops SS have to jump through to take a child away and place them in foster care and they have so many cases and there is limited spaces for foster care

There is more to your friends story than what you know

SeagullSal · 02/09/2015 21:59

I hope the proper outcome is reached.

Maudofallhopefulness · 02/09/2015 22:47

It all depends on how the dragging was done. I've dragged ds across the room before to get him to bed. He giggles. If OP was really cross and the child was frightened that's different. She said she was gentle and didn't pull hard but then the husband went ballistic. Not being there we don't know if he over reacted or if he was justifiably shocked.

Glad you're all friends again, best not repeat it.

Aeroflotgirl · 02/09/2015 23:10

whothefuck oh fractions burns, then quite severe, this might not be an isolated incident. There must be a good reason why he does not want to live with mum. She might not be entirely honest with you.

grapejuicerocks · 02/09/2015 23:28

The thing is the op didn't intend to actually drag him, even if she threatened to. She really thought that as soon as she started to, then he'd comply and go to bed. She had a bit of a shock when it didn't work, now knows it didn't work, and won't try that one again. All part of the parenting learning curve.

This reasoning and persuading children can only go on for so long. I've had a child be picked up from a play date who was making no moves to go despite numerous requests from the parent. In the end I got fed up of waiting, physically picked up the child myself and plonked them by the front door. I did try to do it with a laugh and some humour, but how long was this parent going to make us all wait until the child could be persuaded? I'm sure this parent didn't appreciate my intervention, but I'm sorry I'm not going to be dictated to and run around by a small child.

Dragging is wrong. The op knows that now and feels guilty. Learn from it and move on - as they have.

IguanaTail · 03/09/2015 00:54

Is this still going on. You'd have thought she had clubbed him to death with a hammer or something.

differentnameforthis · 03/09/2015 02:40

FuryFowler Why are you getting cross with Lweji? She is saying what you need to hear. You asked if YWBU, and she said yes, you are. That doesn't mean she thinks you are a bad parent, that doesn't mean she thinks what your dh did was OK (but in the scheme of things, he was defending his children, as any parent would, and I think we all know, roles reversed, the mother would be congratulated for doing exactly what your dh did)

If you post about your personal issues, expect to get pulled up on them. You will hear what you want to hear, and what you need to hear. I too was shocked that nearly all the posts so far have centred around your dh's treatment of you, rather than what you did to your son. It doesn't do you any favours to be told that in all this, your dh was the one in wrong. Because you physically dragged a defenceless child.

And just because a PPs doctor said that her child appeared happy, so what she did was "just parenting" that doesn't matter. If I heard this from a parent, I would be bound by the contract of my job to report it. Because just because the parent says it was a one off, I wouldn't know that!

Calling those who disagree with you "perfect parents" is rather childish, don't you think? Hitting out at those whom opinion you asked is not on. We are not perfect, we are not pretending to be, it's rather rude to call us out like that just because we disagree with you. No, I have never dragged my child, no I am not perfect.

You hitting out now just looks like defensiveness. And it's misplaced. When you admit, on a public forum that you dragged a child, you will be hit with different opinions. There is no need to get sarcastic & rude. Just accept that people do not think what you did was OK & they will tell you.

there's a world of difference between a parent who loses it once after a long day dealing with a naughty child and a parent who constantly takes out their anger on their child. Yes, of course there is, same as there is a world of difference between a man who loses it after seeing his child manhandled, and one who constantly takes out his anger on his wife.

I stop, regroup and find another strategy - like you did She didn't stop. Her dh stopped her.

Why does her dh's threat of violence over take op ACTUAL act of violence? Yes, I do see a child of 6 being dragged off furniture & across the floor, in this instance, violent.

grapejuicerocks See, not one person on here has said they are a perfect parent who doesn't make mistakes. There have been plenty of posters who do not agree with those of us who think op did wrong calling us perfect. There is the difference! The perfect parent stance hasn't come form those who disagree with op!

I'm amazed at all the stunningly perfect parents here who have never made a parenting mistake, never a cross word, transcendental connection between parents and children and zen calm! Sorry..where did ANYONE say that? Stop using the perfect parent line to 1] put down people who don't agree with you & 2] justify what the op did as OK. It's a weak & useless argument!

the 3day nanny grabbed a child the other week by his shoulders and forcibly moved him to stand next to a wall. This imo was worse than what I did last night This highlights the whole problem. You grabbed your child to forcibly move him to bed, that is on a par with what you saw in that programme. You don't see it though, regardless of what you say here, you are minimising what you did, comparing it to a very close compassion & deciding that you come of better. You don't op.

I get it, you were at the end of your tether, you lost it in a moment of madness. We have all done something we regret. The thing here is, that you have gone from admitting that you were wrong, to saying it wasn't' that bad now. You are backtracking. I have yelled, yes. Smacked a bum, yes. Dragged, no. There are differences to yelling & dragging.

differentnameforthis · 03/09/2015 03:55

Dragging anyone is not on but neither is a 6 year old child totally defying you. Newsflash...KIDS DEFY THEIR PARENTS.

It is up to parents, as adults, to maintain composure & not escalate the situation. No, that isn't always possible. Yes, we reach the end of our tether.

That doesn't make this behaviour acceptable.

Other than that, you have just victim blamed a 6yr old for his mother's outburst against him.

Don't like dh getting involved when I am handling it. Does feel like undermining. He wasn't undermining her...he was stopping her from hurting his kids. Only on MN would a man who was stopping this escalation be seen as undermining.

The OP was in the right. Her child was being a brat and refusing to go to bed and she acted appropriately. Her child, her discipline, nothing wrong with what she did Actually you are wrong. What she did wasn't appropriate! And she doesn't get to treat her child how she wants. What she did, if disclosed to her child's teacher, dr etc would start safeguarding concerns. Nothing may come of it, but anyone with close contact to children would be honour bound by the ethics of their job to make a report.

Attacking another poster because their opinion differs to yours, is not on ceyes03 You aren't coming off to well. Especially when you have been quite vile & Lweji, although being quite firm in her opinion, have been able to not call the op, or anyone else, any names.

Funny how all those who think what op did was OK, are the one who are getting aggressive, isn't it.

BeautifulBatman · 03/09/2015 04:34

This reply has been deleted

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differentnameforthis · 03/09/2015 06:21

Theres a few sanctimonious twats on here that could do with a clubbing.....

tell me...is that better than dragging a small child or threatening to slap someone?

grow up!

BeautifulBatman · 03/09/2015 06:37

Much better, if it reduces some of the insufferably painful posts from certain people here.

SeaMagic · 03/09/2015 06:56

I have yelled, yes. Smacked a bum, yes. Dragged, no. There are differences to yelling & dragging.

different imo smacking is much much worse than the OP dragging a reluctant child off the sofa with the intention of making him walk to the bedroom.

I am surprised that you feel you can post so sanctimoniously about the wrongdoing of the OP whilst admitting that you yourself smack.

Had you ever considered it is quite possible that someone may report you for your physical violence towards your child Hmm

SeaMagic · 03/09/2015 07:04

And again, a parent who gets fed up and pulls a child off the sofa with the intention of walking them to the bedroom [but said child chooses to drag their feet instead of walk] is much less harmful than a parent screaming in the other parent's face and threatening to slap them across the room.

IMO.

Chin up OP and ignore the pious folk who would feel obliged to report you to the authorities.

marmitemofo · 03/09/2015 07:49

seamagic OP actually said she dragged him along the floor, not that he dragged his feet along the floor. I interpret that as her dragging him bodily rather than lightly marching him to the door. And I'm sorry but I disagree that's less bad than DH losing his temper and screaming.

Obs2015 · 03/09/2015 07:56

Seamagic, you do know that it is not illegal in the UK to smack a child, don't you? It is illegal if a mark is left.
I'm not condoning or advising smacking. I'm just telling you the law.

grapejuicerocks · 03/09/2015 07:59

But she said she intended to drag him to his feet. Obviously this backfired.

She didn't just set out to drag him in temper across the room- it would be a fool who thought they could do this with a two year old in their arms. She thought she could drag him to his feet. He resisted, which having never done it before, she didn't expect.

Obs2015 · 03/09/2015 08:07

Sorry I realised it was 'differentnameforthis' who I disagree with. She because of her job would be duty bound to report. Heaven save me from the likes of people like her.

Gottagetmoving · 03/09/2015 14:45

I have 'dragged' or firmly removed my child when she flatly refused to do something she HAD to do.
I was not in a temper or angry.It was firm and contolled. You cannot negotiate with a child who has gone into tantrum defiant mode. They need someone to take control of a situation and despite those of you that think this is horrendous and damaging, I think it is more damaging to allow a child to continue being out of control and being defiant.
It doesn't harm them, and if they are loved and cared for - they get over it. They are not the delicate precious little bunnies that many parents believe.

Reubs15 · 03/09/2015 22:58

You were both unreasonable but I think you know that and you know why.
It sounds like you could both do with a break, could you maybe get a babysittier one evening and go out together to relax a bit?

differentnameforthis · 04/09/2015 06:10

different imo smacking is much much worse than the OP dragging a reluctant child off the sofa with the intention of making him walk to the bedroom

You are wrong. I can make a report about a parent if they tell me they dragged their child along the floor. I can't make a report about someone smacking their child as a form of discipline. I tried. I practically got laughed at.

Had you ever considered it is quite possible that someone may report you for your physical violence towards your child Good luck to them. I smacked her a couple of times as toddler. It didn't do anything, I stopped. Over 10yrs on, I haven't smacked my dc since.

So with 2yr old in arms I pulled him off the sofa by his arm and dragged him halfway across the room Read the thread properly. She purposefully dragged him. Don't rewrite her words to build an agenda against me. You are wrong.

And seriously, I shit you not, if a parent admitted this to me I would be ethically bound to report her. Right or wrong. Not my rules, just my job.

Obs2015 We are not talking about smacking, and I can't & haven't reported anyone for smacking. She physically dragged him off the sofa, to drag him to bed.

You don't need saving from people like me. If you haven't done anything wrong, why would you need saving. Like it or not the job I work in is very child focused. I am telling your of my experiences in the role. I don't make the rules, neither do my bosses, our Government does.

It doesn't harm them, and if they are loved and cared for - they get over it. They are not the delicate precious little bunnies that many parents believe. No, you are probably right. It doesn't, as a one off, harm them. Trouble is, no one here knows the op. We only have her word for it (and I am not calling her a liar) that this is exactly what happened. It isn't up to any of us make that decision. This is how my clients present. As one off visitors. If they tell me they dragged their child "once" I have no idea that that is true. It isn't up to me to make that call. I am not qualified to decide if they are lying to me or not.

This is why I have to report it. I see a snapshot, the relevant services will decide if they need to intervene.

I would rather over report than miss something. I cannot & will not take it at face value that a disclosure could be a one off.

Like it or not, it raises safeguarding issues.