Was there something else I should have done?

[mantarays]

Walking down a crowded high st this afternoon, with one hand holding DD(3) and the other holding some shopping. We were between a row of shops and some stalls, so no spare room either side to move.

I saw a child about the same age as DD pelting along towards her, clearly about to run straight into her, and had about a second to react. I couldn’t move aside or move her as I didn’t have enough time, so I bent down and blocked him with my body. He then fell on his bum.

His dad proceeded to have a go at me, shouting, “He’s just a baby!” I said, “Yes, he’s a baby but he was going to knock over my daughter.” He was pretty angry. I can’t say I’d appreciate seeing my own child go on her bum, but that’s why I supervise her, so things that that don’t happen.

Was there any other action I could have taken, from the sounds of this?

No, he was probably a bit stressed at having his child run off and probably (should) feel like a twit now. No one came to harm, if you’d not been there the runaway child could have come to harm. Forget him, he was rude.

You could have quickly pulled her in front/behind you, it would have taken less time than bending down to stop the kid.

We all react oddly sometimes in the heat of the moment though so I probably wouldn't over think it.

If you had hold of her hand could you have not just pulled her in front of you, rather than you step in front of her?

I think you'd have to be there to decide.

DifficultPifcultLemonDifficult

I honestly don’t think I could. I would definitely have done that, but at the time I think blocking him was my only physical option bar letting him hit her.

Ponoka7

I don’t think I could have done, given the angle as well. He was sort of running across me, so would have hit her if she had been placed in front of me, on the way if you see what I mean.

Then it's a lesson learnt, don't run in crowded places.

Could you have lifted her? If you had hold of one hand, you could’ve maybe slid your hand along her arm to grab her from under her armpit? Or if you were holding her hand, just sort of held her firmly so that in the event of a collision, she wouldn’t have fallen. The Dad might’ve been less upset to see his son fall following bumping into another toddler rather than colliding with a blocking adult. Difficult to say without being able to fully visualise the situation. Try not to dwell on it, as PP says, he was probably a bit stressed himself.

LittleRa

Couldn’t have lifted her as there wasn’t time. I also - if I’m honest - don’t see why she should be hit forcefully (by anyone) because he hasn’t supervised his son. She was moving very slowly and would have come off a lot worse than him.

Yes you could have said, keep hold of him then!

It happened to me too except I caught the child before they fell the mom proceeded to tell me to take my hands off her child I said you want me to drop the kid? She hauled the child out of my arms who promptly starts screaming so she dumps the child on the floor snarling shut the fuck up you little bastard child runs off again the whole street was jaw dropped at this display a chap even asked if it was being filmed it was just so......low budget TV drama style

I should add I only picked the child up because I heard screaming and commotion I thought something bad was happening my son had my hand the entire time

I did want to say, “Erm, maybe if you supervised him it wouldn’t be a problem. Yes, he’s a baby - you’re not!” But that might have made the whole thing worse!

'Your child ran into me and fell over, had I not moved, your child would have run into my Dd and they would have both fallen over...suggest you parent your Dc better.

That seems like a strange reaction on your part. I can't really imagine doing that. I would yank my kid behind me before I'd bend down in front of her if someone were running straight for them. I'm not saying you did it on purpose, but it could look like that since there are other options.

I was sitting on a bench once talking to a neighbor who had just lost her OH and was talking about how hard it was. She had a tiny little dog and I had a big dog. My dog was just sitting there calmly on one side of me, but her dog, on my other side, was clearly getting more and more agitated and then lunged at my dog. I was sitting cross-legged between the two and had been watching the little dog wind up, and my leg just flew up into the air blocking the little dog. It was literally a knee-jerk reaction but it looked like I had kicked her dog out of the blue. I was so embarrassed, even though that's not what had happened. I apologized.

Anyway, if I had done what you did, I would have said, I'm really sorry -- I thought he was going to run into my DD. I would have been solicitous instead of defensive, since the other child did get knocked down.

NotALurker2

It really wasn’t possible to “yank” her behind me.

Anyway, sounds like you did for your dog exactly what I did for DD, doesn’t it? I didn’t want the toddler to fall but he fell from his own momentum, not mine. I was just protecting my daughter.

But then you did kick her dog. 😂 I didn’t kick the toddler, just blocked him. He knocked himself over.

@mantarays

No, I didn't kick the dog. I put my leg up between the dogs, and since her dog was jumping at my dog, it hit my leg mid-air. See how that sounds to you? That's why the other parent was mad, too.

No, it sounds pretty reasonable. You have a right to protect your dog and the other owner should have had it under control. If the other parent was mad, he should have been mad at himself, not me.