Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think it is not normal for an adult man to deliberate trip up a six year old child?

29 replies

airsealengineer · 07/08/2018 20:23

I just saw this in the supermarket. There was a family of a little girl about 6 or 7 years old, the mum and what I presume was the father. They were waiting in the queue, two checkouts from me (the middle checkout being closed). The little girl ran to a display of chocolate behind and the Father, who was by there, deliberately put out his foot to trip her up, sending her absolutely sprawling face down. It was horrible.
I stood staring, thinking, I must have got that wrong. it must have been an accident. But then the little girl started crying and ran to her mum saying, ' he did that on purpose! He did! He did!' I think the mum denied it at first, but then shushed her saying that people were looking (that was me). The Father just stood there laughing.
That's not normal right? I am really kicking myself for not speaking out. I really feel I should have done.

OP posts:
Montybabe · 07/08/2018 20:26

Sounds like my dad...that and pulling a chair away when you’re just about to sit down. Lots of other “hilarious” tricks too! Apparently other people have no sense of humour if you don’t laugh.

Montybabe · 07/08/2018 20:26

But no, it’s not normal.

PorkFlute · 07/08/2018 20:27

Well did it seem nasty or was he joking about and meant to pull his foot away before she reached him?
Was she hurt?

Disfordarkchocolate · 07/08/2018 20:29

If it was a shop the should be CCTV of the till area. I think you should let the store know what you saw and ask them to keep the CCTV if they have it. And, then speak to the police as it's assault. What does he do in private?

willyloman · 07/08/2018 20:30

Not normal at all.

Aprilshowersinaugust · 07/08/2018 20:30

I used to go swimming with my very part time df and he used to hold me under for a laugh..
He may have laughed but I remember panicking at it being that bit too long.
Sad

Strongmummy · 07/08/2018 20:31

He sounds like a piece of shit. I think I might have said something, but I’m a loud mouth

Original poster
airsealengineer · 07/08/2018 20:34

I did wonder if I should do that Disfor.

Pork, I think he thought it was funny, but she sure didn't. He didn't mean to pull his foot away. He meant her to go sprawling.

She had been asking for treats around the supermarket, so perhaps this was his 'funny' way of stopping her for reaching the chocolate display.

It's bullying though isn't it? To use your physical size to do this? It's a humiliating way to treat someone.

Anyway, my toddler is asking me to put him to bed, so got to be away from key board for a while.

OP posts:
mavismcruet · 07/08/2018 20:49

Awful!

My dh would break his neck to cushion a fall by my dd (7 years). He’d never intentionally cause it.

My own dad is similar and I think he’d still have a go at catching me I’d i fell in my 40s.

Poor little girl Sad

That’s what dads should do.

Gorrillagirlfanclub · 07/08/2018 20:49

He sounds awful. Not normal. You would think he would know what was appropriate if they're his kids!

DeadGood · 07/08/2018 20:51

Fuck, that’s awful.
I’d be struggling not to do something to be honest. Anyone on here know what could be done about this sort of thing? OP, can you write down everything you remember about the incident (date, time, location, descriptions of the people involved)?

eightfacesofthemoon · 07/08/2018 20:54

That’s actullay really quite shocking, in a silent no one notices kind of way.
I don’t know what I would do, but I think I would probably like to take it further.

It’s like all that stuff on YouTube making your kids be scared or take laxitives, because it’s funny.
It might be funny for adults to do it to adults (though not funny imo)
But he’s a full blown bully

Original poster
airsealengineer · 07/08/2018 21:01

Yes he is a bully. And the mum never said anything to him, just hushed the daughter. Which makes me think this is normal. I was packing my shopping as they were leaving and I thin he might have hit her (the little girl) with his knee in her bum as they left. I'm fairly sure I saw this but she didn't react to it so that makes me think maybe I got that wrong.
I'll make a quick note of what I remember before I go to bed now. Maybe I will ring one of the children's charities tomorrow and ask if they think it is worth calling it in.

OP posts:
Original poster
airsealengineer · 07/08/2018 21:02

I meant, normal for that family there. Not actually normal for normal people.

OP posts:
ChristinaMarlowe · 07/08/2018 21:07

I agree with @Disfordarkchocolate, please report this. Poor little thing. Who knows what's going on in private if he thought this was ok in a busy store Hmm

MyMagicStars · 07/08/2018 21:09

How horrible Sad poor little thing. What a bully.

FrazzledRockRed · 07/08/2018 21:09

Not normal.

Liverbird77 · 07/08/2018 21:13

Nasty piece of work. She won't trust him at all as she grows up.

eightfacesofthemoon · 07/08/2018 21:15

Please report this. I would imagine this is just the tip of the iceberg
God only knows what goes on behind closed doors Sad

NewMinouMinou · 08/08/2018 13:36

Please do report that. It may be that he just has a stupid sense of humour (if you can call it that), but the shushing etc is worrying.
My stepfather started out like that with me. It didn’t end well and I wish onlookers had stepped up.

SandyY2K · 08/08/2018 14:03

Its disgusting...but i expect hes done similar and the mum stays with him regardless.

Then one wonders why the world has so many damaged individuals as they grow up. It's abusive behaviour.

When one parent is abusive and the other fails to protect the child/ren, their in the sane boat.

Whyyounoeatmypie · 08/08/2018 14:03

My steodad used to do stuff like this - he actually did exactly this to my rother at the same age. Would do the whole 'just teasing' line and deny it hurt even when we cried and said stop. We've all been in therapy strangely enough. Totally not normal.

SandyY2K · 08/08/2018 14:03

*same boat

noego · 08/08/2018 16:49

Father acting like a bully.
Mother enabling fathers behaviour.
Child, innocent and has nowhere to go, and no one to protect her.

Speak to the authorities immediately.

Original poster
airsealengineer · 09/08/2018 16:59

Just an update. I phoned the NSPCC helpline. They said to phone the police on 101 and I did that and they have taken all the details and said they would pass it to officers to look at straight away.
NSPCC also asked me what security at the supermarket said about it, so I guess if I (or anyone) sees anything like that in future it would be worth talking to the security about it at the time. Police asked if I had seen them get into a car, so I also guess taking number plate of car would have been useful too.
Thanks to the PP who advised me to write down details and descriptions I could remember as I did that and passed to the police.
And thanks everyone who encouraged me to report it. People in RL told me not to bother as nothing could be done as I didn't know who the family are, but encouragement from people here meant I did seek advice from NSPCC and then did report it and I am glad I did.

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread