Would you tell someone else's child off...

[gruffaloschild1]

In a soft play.

We were in the "sensory" area which is for babies and toddlers. My 11 month old was playing with the sensory light and some kid aged about 8/9(?) barged over and whacked him across the head to push him out the way!

Obviously his parents weren't nearby so I don't know who they are to mention it to them. I told him "NO, do NOT do that"

Just wondering how you feel if someone told your child off while you weren't there?

Yes if they were 8/9 years old absolutely! Parents should of been watching and not allowed the older child in what is the baby area ffs.

I don’t care if some parents don’t like it, I do tell other children off if they are naughty or push my child on the slide like last week in the park

You were right. As long as you didn't snarl or be frightening it's not wrong to tell a child no. He may have had special needs but there's still a limit. As long as a child is corrected firmly but non threateningly, why not?

The child looked at me utterly GOBSMACKED I told him not to do that to another child 😳😳

I'll tell anyone off who needs telling off - I don't care how old they are!

YANBU. If someone had to tell my child off, I'd be embarrassed that I wasn't keeping enough of an eye on them.

Oh yes. I do it all the time! I would have said exactly the same in that situation.

No, not frightening. Firm but no raised voice etc, exactly as I'd do to my own.

@NameyMcNamechangeface that's exactly my thoughts. I'd be mortified my child was behaving in a way that warranted a telling off. Understand kids are kids and all that but I'd like to think they'd know not to play in that area designated for babies

Yes all the time, and I don’t even have children. I have worked in a school though so have a good teacher voice.

You did absolutely the right thing, maybe if his parents did he wouldn't be hitting babies!

I probably would have been snarly in telling the little shit other child off in that situation.
What kind of 8/9 year old doesn't know that you shouldn't push a baby?! 😡

Yep I’d have told that kid off without hesitation.
If my child was told off by someone else (when she’s older, still a baby!) I’d be embarrassed that it had been necessary for them to do so.

I shouted at a group of kids throwing handfuls of gravel in a carpark this weekend. Parents were just behind me. Almost dared them to challenge me about little Johnny throwing stones at £20k+ cars....

Did that today. Kid was hitting other children and pushing them off slides. The mother was standing right there and from time to time would look up from her phone and say "darling don't do that please".
When he walked up to my LO. I said very loudly. 'Do NOT do that'
Looked at the mother and she had her nose in her phone.
The kid listened though.
I have no problem telling off other kids. If the parents say anything. I just say "step in and discipline your child"

Course. Then I'd bring it to the attention of the soft play people. Whys that kid not at school anyway? Sounds too old to be in a soft play for 11 month olds......or yours is too young?

Absolutely. If that were my child (hopefully never would be, especially not at that age but even so) I would be glad that you told them off for the extra shock fa tor and them I would take them home altogether. Pushing a child by the head of all places, especially such a young one, warrants an immediate telling off, anyone who wouldn't agree is BU.

It's half term here so they older kids are of school and no mine isn't too young, he was in the designated baby section

Yes definitely

If anything you telling him off might have more of an impact than if it was his own parent? Might make him think twice

Yes, I would. And do.

It's worth bearing in mind though that if you only have tiny kids, then often it's quite hard to judge what is normal behaviour in older kids. Sometimes they over-estimate older kids emotional / social development So telling off a rampaging 9 year old is fair enough. But sometimes you see on here stories of outraged mums who bollock 2 year olds for pushing over their 1 year old, and of course a 2 year old is completely impulse driven and has very little sense of consequences.

I have in the past, there was one brute of a child swinging his feet into other children at the play area, he smacked my DS in the face. His CFM was no where to be seen and he did not respond to polite requests to stop. The Manager hoisted the child out and demanded the Cto leave with her brat.

Yanbu - I think it's ok to tell someone of that age that their behaviour is not acceptable especially if it directly affected you. I sometimes ask the child to point out their parents so I can let them know - just incase it gets relayed back to them inaccurately or incase it might be more appropriate to speak to the parents instead due to age of the child. This does not always have a good outcome though depending on the parents. Meh!

I'm forever telling kids off at soft play. They follow me around the bloody place all the time and it does my head in!

I've told off several children. Few soft play incidents, I once made a little girl hide and cry from me when I shouted at her for pinching and kicking my DNs I'm quite stern when I tell off and even get asked by friends to reprimand their own children when they won't listen to them.

When DC was 2 a much larger child (probably 8/9 and a biggun) pushed him off a bouncy castle - not accidentally, he was stopping any other children get on and pushed mine straight off - I went straight up and shouted at him never to do that again and what a horrible little boy bully he was for knocking small children over.....he then ran to his parents who were sat NEXT to the bouncy castle watching him the entire time and not saying a word.

Yes, I would.
Any parent who has been so ineffectual or lax to allow a situation to develop that they are unaware of due to inattention or inaction to the extent that another feels they have to step in has lost the right to any indignant response.

Parent your child or why bother having them.