To think this is not an acceptable thing to say to a child?

[blondieblondie]

"Wipe that smirk off your face or I'll wipe it off for you?"

A school staff member to a child, basically over an uneaten lunch.

This was a regular comment from my headmaster at school. Which absolutely doesn't make it right.

Not acceptable and I would be complaining.

Absolutely unacceptable.

No. That's a threat as far as my upbringing went

I agree that it's not an ideal thing to say but I am a teacher and sometimes say things to children that could either be taken the wrong way or that I instantly regret.

And smirks give me the rage too.

Completely unacceptable !

Meh, it's not so bad (could be my inner London schooling talking, but I've heard worse and shrugged it off)

Totally unacceptable. My SIL tells her children to "shut up, you're doing my head in" I can't stand hearing people speaking to children so viciously.

I work in a school; it's a shocking comment to make to a child within that setting from an adult supposed to be a caring individual .

Yep, old school and wrong on any level, but in relation to eating lunch? Why on earth would you threaten a child into eating? I would definitely be complaining or, if you're staff rather than parent, raising with head.

Totally unacceptable. My SIL tells her children to "shut up, you're doing my head in" angry I can't stand hearing people speaking to children so viciously.

are you married to my brother?

That's a threat to give the child a smack in the face. She must not have meant it that way but that's what the expression means. Not ok.

Thanks for the replies. Im not really sure how I can go about proving it. It's not something I've ever said to my child, or heard him say, so I believe very much that it was said, but I imagine it will be denied

I heard this so much during my school days. From teachers to parents to grandparents to friends..everyone spoke like this.

Everythings different these days though and I know I wouldn't be impressed if someone said it to one of my kids..

She complained to the head that he hadn't eaten his lunch and rarely does, even though he and another staff member pointed out that he regularly has a packed lunch instead of school meal. Then once the debate about that was over, she walked passed later and he was laughing with a friend and that was her comment to him. Which was followed by telling him his attitude stinks when he said wasn't laughing at her, or being cheeky to her

I'm not very rational when it comes to my DDs so id be demanding an explanation from the person who said it and making it clear in no uncertain terms that I'd rip their head off

I take it as your DC is at primary school OP? Only I say similar (and worse!) to my secondary pupils, but they're of an age to recognise banter.

Although it isn't the right thing to say, it was proberly just a flippant remark, and she probably didn't mean anything by it.

I agree with Giraffes that banter between pupils and staff is fine. But I don't like this comment. It's too realistic and plausible to be banter. Adults do smack children so instead of sounding sarcastic or jokey, it sounds threatening.

My Year 4 teacher used to tell us she'd pull our arms off and hit us with the soggy ends. That was banter because it couldn't happen. It's very different to the OP's example, imo.

I couldn't get fussed about it to be honest. Smirking kids make me angry anyway, so if I was a teacher faced with a kid smirking at me, I would find a suitable punishment to wipe the smirk off IYSWIM.

What was he laughing with his friend about?

It's unacceptable.

If someone said this to one of our DC's I would wonder what on earth they had done to provoke such a response.

Agree it's not a great thing to say.

Its probably a case of lines or detention.