What would you do if an adult hit your child

[Breadcheesebread]

Without going into too many details.

Two 6 month olds were playing, one ended up hitting the other on the hand, accidentally.
Neither reacted, carried on playing.

The mother of the one who was hit, said 'I saw that' and lightly tapped the hand of the child who had hit her child.
She then turned to her own child and asked if she was OK. Her child stared blankly at her.

The poor kid who had just been hit by the adult looked so confused.
The mother of the one that hit his friend accidentally was so shocked she didn't say anything.

If it was my child, it would take all my strength not to slap the woman.

Or is that unreasonable?

[AnneLovesGilbert]

Why be vague about the situation?

I wouldn’t have let anyone hit, tap or chastise my baby. I’d have left or told the other person to.

[BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz]

A light tap on a babys hand as a punishment for their "behaviour" (if it is indeed possible for a 6mo to behave) is a hit.

Light tap is hit.

No adult at all should punish any baby or child in this way.

[TheLovelinessOfDemons]

I'm afraid I'd have a hard time stopping myself hitting the person. I'd definitely shout.

[MsTSwift]

I’d think she was either mental or extremely thick and would never be in her company again.

[BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz]

I always think its ridiculously ironic when adults try and teach kids not to hit by hitting.

[khakiandcoral]

That thread makes no sense whatsoever.

6 months old don't "play together" for a start.

[Wheredoesagoannago]

Watching with interest as my DD is 9 months and interacting with other babies, sometimes gently, sometimes not!

I think if another parent did this to my daughter, I'd be pretty put-out.

[khakiandcoral]

In case it's for real, I would grab my baby, ask the woman if she is a fucking nutcase and not to come near my child ever again!

You might agree or disagree to a light tap to a toddler (if the baby hasn't even flinched, it must have been light), but they start to understand the concept of "no".

A 6 months old BABY?!?

[Just10moreminutesplease]

I am usually non confrontational but this would push me over the edge!

Hitting a baby as punishment (even lightly) is vastly different to restraining them to avoid harm. Honestly, I don’t know what I would do in the moment but I never intend to use physical punishment with my child and wouldn’t take kindly to someone else deciding to do so.

[OnlyFoolsnMothers]

An adult touches my child- we have a problem. By the sounds of the story the situation was over and this adult wasn’t stopping a child from hitting, they were reprimanding a child that isn’t there’s and more importantly is a baby!!!!

[Hardbackwriter]

Yes, we have to do this a lot at nursery. I should also point out that many 6 mo can be very overweight and be closer to a 12 mo in weight, while others may be low centile / underweight and could be significantly harmed if you just left them to it.

erm, what? You sound so weirdly judgemental of heavy (can a 6 month old even be overweight? They don't eat food!) babies - I hope you don't work at the nursery that my two 91st centiles go to... And anyway one baby whacked the other, she hadn't climbed on top of the other baby so weight is pretty irrelevant. If you're just talking about restraining them then that's totally different - if the other mum had picked up the baby who had hit and moved her out of reach of the other child then that would be fine (bit weird she didn't move her own, but fine). That isn't what she did, at all. She did it to punish, not to stop a continuing situation.

[khakiandcoral]

THIS is a 6 months old!

[Veterinari]

I'd expect an adult to have a greater cognitive capacity and self control than a 6 month old.

She sounds petty and not very bright

[MizMoonshine]

A light tap - I would tell the other mother not to take it upon themselves to discipline my child, or anyone else's.

A smack - I'd bodyslam the cunt through the nearest table.

[khakiandcoral]

Yes, we have to do this a lot at nursery.

of course you do your best to avoid kids hurting each other! I would expect that from a nursery!

I would also expect you to stop them from electrocuting themselves or jumping by the window.

You don't slap their hands though.

[Ozanj]

@Hardbackwriter

Yes, we have to do this a lot at nursery. I should also point out that many 6 mo can be very overweight and be closer to a 12 mo in weight, while others may be low centile / underweight and could be significantly harmed if you just left them to it.

erm, what? You sound so weirdly judgemental of heavy (can a 6 month old even be overweight? They don't eat food!) babies - I hope you don't work at the nursery that my two 91st centiles go to... And anyway one baby whacked the other, she hadn't climbed on top of the other baby so weight is pretty irrelevant. If you're just talking about restraining them then that's totally different - if the other mum had picked up the baby who had hit and moved her out of reach of the other child then that would be fine (bit weird she didn't move her own, but fine). That isn't what she did, at all. She did it to punish, not to stop a continuing situation.

I have more premies at my nursery than overweight babies tbh. But you absolutely do need to protect them by restraining. Oh and if you had actually read my post instead of defending your own overweight babies you would have noticed I was replying to someone totally different.

[LoudestCat14]

@socalledfriend

Do you mean if an adult hit my baby?

I would go fucking nuclear.

This. ^

I can't imagine what other response there could be!

[Waxonwaxoff0]

@AnUnoriginalUsername

I'd either say "I saw that" and hit her hand or "don't you ever lay a fucking finger on my child again." Depending on who it was.

This.

[Ozanj]

@khakiandcoral

Yes, we have to do this a lot at nursery.

of course you do your best to avoid kids hurting each other! I would expect that from a nursery!

I would also expect you to stop them from electrocuting themselves or jumping by the window.

You don't slap their hands though.

Read the message I replied to before getting your gun out. Ffs it’s like everyone’s forgotten how to read.

[Hardbackwriter]

My babies aren't 'overweight' and you sound absolutely deranged. And again, she didn't restrain, which would have been fine, she physically punished someone else's child.

[bitheby]

Based on the thread title then call the police. Based on the OP, I would judge that woman's parenting style really hard and be very wary of being friends with her so my child didn't end up friends with her child.

[LoudestCat14]

So what actually happened in the aftermath, OP – you are clearly the mum of the baby that was tapped by the other one.

[LittleTiger007]

Wow. A 6 month old is just learning to use their limbs. Speak to the child… say ‘no’ firmly…. Hitting a baby?!
If it was a light tap … Truly a light tap to get the baby’s attention , followed by a ‘no’ then that may be appropriate. They are learning to use their bodies and have no concept of causing pain to others at this stage and so intervening gently physically to remove a hand is appropriate… so long as it’s done lovingly and gently.

[Abouttimemum]

Yeah I wouldn’t expect anyone to take it upon themselves to discipline my child and vice versa. It’s not on. I’d expect to prevent any further hitting from taking place.

DS is 2 and I’d never slap, tap or hit him in any way as a form of discipline, let alone someone else do it.

[Bibidy]

I don't think a tap to a child is unreasonable BUT I do think a tap to a 6 month old is utterly ridiculous.That's a small baby, her tapping their hand will achieve nothing??