Play park incident

[Cleari]

There was a little girl in the park, about 6 I’d say. I was with 6,5,4 year olds and she wanted to play with them.

First she hopped on the big tyre swing at the same time, I smiled and tried to acknowledge mum. Little girl was chatty but mum watched stone faced as I pushed them all. Moved away as slightly awkward but the girl followed so I tried to be pleasant, girls happy to include her.

My 3 then went to a mini roundabout thing, small disc about chest height to the kids. Lifted my three on and she stood there, so I offered to lift her. Tried to look at mum who stayed silently watching expressionless but staring with a friend. Little girl said she wanted to push. I suggested again she get on, she said again she wanted to push and started. Quite a confident child and very sure. All 4 giggling, I stood very close very to stop it if needed. She was strong enough to do it.

Mum suddenly goes mad. Storms over screaming at me and yanks daughter away shouting ‘what the fuck you playing at?’ I was bemused and just stood and said ‘she wanted to push, she seemed happy’ (as I said I was closely watching)’. This made mum really cross- what you fucking doing? She could be hurt! You fucking let a child push! My daughter is not there to fucking push your kids. She not some fucking servant to you

Her and her mate then stood about 15ft away having a loud shout about how I needed a slap, thought I was fucking better than them all etc on repeat

Aibu that this was bizarre?

Only details I can think of, I’m dressed scruffy and no one calls me posh. She was a bit younger maybe. All of us the same race.

It was quite nerve wracking as there were two, and I was alone with kids- two of whom were mine. It’s playing in my mind- was there a way to diffuse this? I didn’t answer beyond that as I was outnumbered and alone with kids, and didn’t want to fire it. I just moved the kids calmly to a different area where other parents were

What a nutcase that mum is. Just everything you've described is absolutely awful. That poor, poor little girl to have that beast for a mother
I would never go to that park again OP.

That sounds really scary op. No good deed goes unpunished. Horrible woman was perfectly happy you looking after her dd until you didn’t act appropriately. The irony of calling her a servant is that this is exactly how she was treating you.

@MrsLinManuelMiranda
Council House And Violent is a backronym. Actual origin is Romany for boy / baby or an abbreviation used in the 20th by locals for a person from Cheltenham, possibly meaning Cheltenham average.

Appropriately in her eyes I mean. You did nothing wrong.

Rhi yes, but nothing to do with being working/middle/upper. Chavs are the underclass undoubtedly, but that’s an insult anyway, unlike the former classes, and not related to economic status.

She's clearly a chavvy little 🐖.

She's a bully who likes an audience: I would put money on it that she wouldn't have done that if she'd been on her own.

You did nothing wrong and handled it well.

She sounds delightful!
I don't think you did anything to provoke her. Best to be avoided if you see her again. Your kids, and hers, don't need to be exposed to that behaviour.

Similar thing happened to my daughter with her 20 month old son at the play park. A 4 year old was grabbing at my grandson whilst he played and the mum just sat there, stony faced. My daughter called her over to help , and she let rant at my daughter too. Maybe these mums are depressed? Unable to interact with their own children, but aggressive towards mums that ARE playing and engaging with their own? No excuse, you sound like a lovely mum by the way.

Sounds odd, I feel sorry for her little girl having a parent like that her child was being included she was obviously taking to her friend and wanted an argument as there were two against one. You didn't do anything wrong, glad you and you children are ok.

Well ! A cat is a better mother than that foul mouthed individual . Such bizarre and threatening behaviour too in fro t of other children . You did nothing wrong . I think maybe she was just itching for you to pick her child up and put her on the play equipment ....... and you didn’t - so she went over the top at the little girl pushing under supervision instead . Poor little girl .

It could be she is suffering from depression and not functioning normally.

Also she could be suffering from grief or shock with important stuff and can't think straight.

I dealt with my terminal diagnosis by trying to do bizarre things until I sorted out medication and counselling

She sounds like a scumbag. There's nothing you could have done to prevent it

All those possibilities are not ops dealing are they though, gill. We’ve all got our demons and shit going on. I don’t think that excuses it, to be perfectly honest

You shouldn't take this to heart. If she didn't want her child to push she should have stepped up to stop her. Next time you are in the kind of situation like that send the child to ask Mummy if its okay to play with her new friends and can she push. Passes responsibility totally back to the nutter types.

Next time pick up and leave completely.

Jealous of you op because you interact with your children and she " can't be bovvered" well done you for remaining calm and not going to her level as she was just spoiling for a fight

Dont take it personally you've just unfortunately encountered a nut case in the wild!
Some people are just extremely edgy and aggressive. You didnt do anything wrong at all. I'm glad you kept calm it's best if you dont rise to it.
I'm really sad for her poor little girl.

She sounds like a charmer. She shouted and swore at you in front of her own child as well as the children with you? And made threats? Nice. YANBU . Pity her poor child!

@Playmytune

@NoddyAndBessie

“Sounds like a brexit voter. I'd just ignore the stupid cow in future”.

In case you weren’t aware nearly 17 and a half million people voted for Brexit!! To state this shows just how stupid and ignorant you are. In fact you’re probably worse than the dreadful mother the OP came across!!

Thankfully most of the just over 16 million voters (myself included) who voted remain probably think your a twat as well!!

I bet you're fun on the piss . . .

I would have told the girl to go ask her Mum - or I would have asked Mum directly, especially as you'd already picked up on the odd unfriendly atmosphere she was exuding. But entirely not your fault and sad for the child who's obviously quite needy.

I'm quite dismayed at some of the judgements on the Mum by others on this thread. Horribly snobbish and presumptuous. Mum is obviously struggling and could have mental health issues. A little bit of kindness or a smile can go a long way. Unfortunately confrontation seems to be everyone's first instinct these days.

It must have been a frightening experience approaching you in that way and she should not have been shouting and swearing in front of your child and the other kids.
Hope you’re okay x

Chav. No other word. Horrible. I was shouted out in an abusive way as I went back to my parked car a year or so ago. Someone wanted my space and I wasn’t ready to go (been parked there all day at a conference) - called me a bitch etc. I just refused to move for her. Not directly related but just that behaving like that is in some people’s mentality. Some people are just plain horrible. Brought up badly. Take it out on the rest of the world.

@Brixtongal - you’re being very presumptuous. How is it the abusive mum’s situation obvious?? There are some nasty people out there. Yes they have inferiority issues etc but that doesn’t mean they can be abusive towards others whenever they like?? You must live a sheltered life to think everyone is nice.

People with this aggressive mentality would think you are humouring them if you tried to be nice back and smiled. It’s not the norm to them. Probably would have punched op or something if she had started smiling. Unfortunately people like this do not respond to social norms. Quite naive to think otherwise.

@sb74.
"You must live a sheltered life to think everyone is nice."

The clue is in my username. Living in a tough inner city area is definitely not sheltered, nor do I think everyone is nice. But it's too easy to tar people with judgements or name calling about why they are behaving a certain way - which is what a lot of commenters are doing. We just don't know what's going on with this foul mouthed woman, but she's obviously got problems that none of us can guess at. I've had similar encounters with some horribly rude, abusive and frightening people. In playgrounds too. It's often best just to keep calm and walk away or not engage with them.

unfortunately there are many like this around. they just snap. it feels so uncomfortable. i dont know what their problem is. i would really like to find out whats wrong with them psychologically. its not normal. its like they are another kind of breed.