It's a softplay one...

[thefluffysideofgrey]

At softplay last week with two friends and their kids - all about three including my DS. All playing nicely in the toddler area, we're all keeping an eye on them. Another family arrive with two boys about 2-4. They enter the toddler area and start playing. All good.

A few minutes later the two boys push my DS to the floor and start punching him. My DS just looks shocked and scared, he curls up into a ball. I run over. One of the boys hitting him runs away, the other keeps punching my DS who is still curled in a ball. I (gently) pull the boy hitting my son away and hold him (struggling to hit my son) until his mother comes over. She does so and gives me a mouthful of abuse.

I say nothing to her, pick up my son and take him away for cuddles.

Did I do the right thing? I could'nt believe what I was seeing. Those two little boys were acting like something out of gansta movie, beating (punching and kicking) my son on the floor. One was laughing.

That is not normal behaviour, surely?

Did I do I do the right thing? Never seen behaviour like that before so no idea what you're supposed to do.

It's absolutely fine to move a child if they are physically attacking another. Sounds like those boys don't have a chance with a mother like that.

So her son beats up yours and. It is a type of beating up. The mother comes over and verbally abuses you. It’s small wonder where he gets it from. Fair enough kids are kids but that crosses a line:

Softplay is brutal. I started off as a first time mum being very timid and not daring to speak to someone else's child but that has certainly changed since time has gone on. When your 2 year old is constantly being sent flying by some fat 7 year old barrelling around the under 4s area, when your child can't go down the slide because the constant stream of kids climbing it, you eventually get sent over the edge. I tell kids off all the time if they are behaving poorly and potentially hurting my children. I'll definitely physically stop them if they are pushing or hitting. I've never had a parent say anything to me, mostly because they're usually nowhere to be seen.

I don't get it why people are saying "Well done not retaliating / not answering"

Doesn't that just enforce in the Mum's mind that she is right and her DC are fine to punch and terrorise a small child . Because the little boys mum just picks him up and walks off .

I'm not saying get into a fight or a FishWifey Bust Up ...... but you are in a public place , with plenty of other people and staff there .
So here would be plenty of people who saw what happened and the mouthy Mum's rant .

A few years back, I was in a lift with my DD , it stopped on our floor and two boys (about 8-10) just charged in as we were trying to leave .
I said "Can you let us out first"?

The Mum behind them shouted at me "Shut your mouth , just shut your fucking mouth"

I shouted back (Yeah FishWifey but meh ) "Yes you can see where they get their manners from"

No swearing on my part .

But like Fuck was this woman going to talk to me like that and think that her two unruly DC were fine to barge someone in a lift

You didn't do anything wrong. I would have loved the child as well. Preferably dumped the little shit on his mother's lap. It's not right that he can beat up another child yet an adult has to worry about moving them. You protected your son. That was the right thing to Dom you didn't harm the other child. And as for the mother how you bit your tongue.... I admire you because I would have ripped her head of if she wailed abuse at us. Clearly the child acts like that due to his mother.

I go to soft play a lot- yes kids can be a bit rough but never seen a kid beating another up....you were very restrained OP, I would have gone off at the other mother and tried to get them thrown out. Appalling!

I am so sorry for your DS.

Yanbu.

I was at soft play in half term and one lad (aged about 3) was being really violent and had my daughter and 3 of her friends in tears within seconds. Pulled ones hair, pinched one in face, scratched one....

I went and asked him who his mummy was, as there was nobody obvious with him. His mum rushed over and went mad at me for talking to her son!! Said she would call the police on me for talking to him haha. She was so aggressive and ranty.

Told her I’d be more than happy to speak to the police if she rang them, particularly regarding her lack of supervision and her sons violence.

Some people are just so bizarre.

You did the right thing.
I can see where the other kids got their behaviour from! I would be mortified if my son would do that to another child and have him apologize on the spot to your DS and to you.

I would’ve got a sneaky punch in the kids kidneys and dragged him to the soft play staff to be banned for life. Little shits

Passthecherrycoke

I pulled a child off my 3 year old at the weekend he had my kids hood on his jumper and was dragging him and swinging him about kinda choking him. I ran over and pulled the child off and told him it wasn't nice to behaviour and he was hurting him . What are you expected to do, leave your child to be hurt.?

And if it was the other way round I would be happy for a adult to tell my kid off for misbehaving, how else do kids learn if not told.

That woman sounds crazy.

The only other thing you should have done was report the family to the staff.

Oh, and I would probably have told the mother what I thought too...

My ds when he was about 15 months old got told "YOU"RE not getting past ME!" by a boy of about 3, who then shoved him to the floor. I didn;t realise his mum was behind him (she was lurking under the soft play slide), as I said "it's not kind to push, don't push!" and she went ballistic at me. I was so shocked. There are always reasons why kids are the way they are (when parent's don't apologise, I mean, and retaliate with verbal violence).

Well done for staying calm. I would have ripped her a new one. You were acting in defence of your son so don't give taking hold of his attacker another thought.

Why do people keep saying 'i wouldn't have touched the child'. Why not? When did we all become so scared of other people that we think it's a total affront to touch someone else's child?

Obviously crazy people - like this rude woman - will go off at you, but she would anyway.

I also note parents who seem otherwise nice these days seem even reluctant to try to help (ie pick up a toddler who's fallen over crying near them) They just seem to look around for the parents. I believe that unless the parent is obviously right there, the nearest adult should intervene, especially when someone's getting hurt.

You did the right thing, I would also have complained to the soft play and asked for them to be removed. They have cctv so they can check things like this.

I'd have used my teacher voice, I'm afraid.

"Who owns this little thug?"

You did the right thing, and you were much more composed than many would have been (including me). Agree with prev. posters about intervening with children: if you see a child at risk of hurting themselves or others, you do something. Some people are so apathetic, it's not helpful at all. A decent parent would have been grateful that you stepped in to prevent their child from causing further harm.

I usually shout something as I am approaching (like Oi! No!) so they are in no doubt I am going to intervene if necessary. But yes you handled it well. I am not sure I could have bitten my tongue at the mum (something about apples and trees springs to mind) but your way was best.

You did the right thing. Soft play attracts all of the little shits. Hope your son is ok now.

This has made me so angry.
Imagining my own son in this situation I have to be honest.. I would have had a hard time stopping myself from knocking them all down...little shits plus mother.
I hope your son is OK now. You did exactly the right thing.

Not only would I have yanked him off my son to get to him, I would have hollered for the owner of said child to come and stop him beating up other children. No way am I flapping about avoiding touching another child while mine gets kicked and punched.

You did the right thing, I would have taken my child out of the situation however it took. I would also have walked away form the mom as sadly some people, no words will change them. Can;t believe it happened!

You did the right thing, I’d have probably gone further and gave abuse back to the mother to be honest. I’d have also said something to the staff, it could be they’ve done it to other children before and need to be banned.

I tell kids off all the time in soft play if it’s obvious their parents are not supervising them properly. It’s always older children being rough in the toddler area where they are not allowed.

She was a twat and you can see the role model those poor kids have.

I had a woman abuse me recently for a non-event. Usually I give as a good as I get but I saw her two year old looking at me from his pushchair with a slightly stricken look on his face and I told her that I’m only my keeping quiet for the sake of her child. That did shut her up.