Friend dragged her dd by arm along floor

[Jennybeans401]

Visited a friend today and she seemed at the end of her wits with her dcs. Her dcs were home due to a teacher training day at school. Df seemed very stressed with both dcs who were playing and not being naughty.

Df was snapping at them most of the time. The youngest is 7 and at one point wouldn't share z toy with my dc. Df then grabbed her dd arm and dragged her along the floor into the hall and started shouting at her. I was a bit shocked as I'd not seen my df so angry.

I've spoken to df about the dcs coming to my house to give her a break but she said there was no need. I was thinking of mentioning to her dh that she seems very stressed though AIBU?

Not funny haha, but funny child abuse.

I'd be phoning social services, and that would be the end of the friendship. If she's that comfortable to do that in front of you and your kids, then much, much worse is happening when no one's around. Her DH is probably also immune to it so I wouldn't waste my time. I grew up with a very shouty, verbally abusive parent who was handy with slapping and hitting. That type of fear and discomfort never goes away.

It's weird, I've known her for years and she's always been into attachment parenting, always said how much she loves her dcs. I'm just shocked.

"Did you take the poor cat away from them?"

Ffs 🙄

There are different types of abusers. Some are maliciously abusive all the time, some make their kids physically unwell to reap the benefits, some come across as decent parents most of the time but snap and refuse to control their temper when their buttons are being pushed. Your friend sounds like the latter. Whether she's into attachment parenting or not is neither here nor there. She's abusive, she's harming her children, end of.

House devil, street angel.

I knew a woman who would whisper the most disgusting threats to her DC, all while holding a Cheshire cat frozen smile on her face - in front of a table full of people.

Judge not on what you are told, but what you see with your own eyes.

What the actual fuck? What is wrong with some people?? Speechless.

I find this whole text very hard to understand. Half of the words do not make sense.

"Visited a friend today and she seemed at the end of her wits with her dcs".

Is this a disease? Or a form of footwear or clothes (like DMs = doc martens).

It must be something unmentionable? Is it a STD?

DPs would be Dobermann Pinschers. That I would get.

Not been on mn very long?

KAYMACK
DF is Dear father, DC is Dear Children etc

Sorry in this case its Dear Friend.

except on this thread DF = dear friend

My Mother spent much of my childhood saying how she adored her kids.

She was also a psychopath (I now believe anyway) who used to drag us by our hair, kick us, withhold food and force us to eat food which made us vomit.

Call SS - it is crucial that she doesn't get to hide her dc away using home schooling as an excuse.

@Minimalme after reading your post I will ring them, I love her dcs and wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to them.

That's the mistake I made and thought it was her partner who was being talked about. Glad I didn't get flamed too badly!

What reaction did the children have to the incident OP. Obviously yours were upset by it, but what about hers? That'll speak volumes in itself.

Well done OP. You're doing a very important thing here.

Sorry this is unacceptable. You have a responsibility to the animal as well. I cannot stand this mentality of 'oh the child the child!!'. Look out for animals too. Cats DO NOT always land on their feet.

Or perhaps her youngest DD does not struggle and she’s feeding you a line, testing out an excuse to see how it could be played to keep the DCs at home. Where she can shout and hit as much as shes wants to and not worry about a pesky teacher asking questions about bruises, split lips and black eyes? And with you as a friend, she can be sure any questions asked about where is little Sophie? you’ll trot out her cover story…, oh, her dd was struggling in school so…

You’re her propaganda piggy.

It almost got me too.

Ring your local children's services first thing tomorrow.

Telling the school will be less effective than going direct yourself, as it's hearsay to the school. You can tell the school you've done it after the fact.

Next time, ring the police immediately and report a crime. As that is what you witnessed.

No, I'm not being overdramatic.

Hi OP - was the child already on the floor..? Your post suggested as much.
If so, why?
Or do you mean she was upright and dragged her by the arm out of the room.
both scenarios are extremely abusive but one is so shocking that I’d be calling the police about- let alone SS.
What do you think you should do OP?
And @Bobbie1976 - the animal story wasn’t about the child/family the OP is discussing- it was another poster who referred to that incident

If she wasn't immediately embarrassed and sorry about losing her cool, it says she thinks treating her kids this way is normal.

You're doing the right thing flagging it with SS.

Thank you! I wish an adult had done this for me. You are doing the right thing.

What's NC?

OP does not have a responsibility for an animal in someone else’s story that took place 15 years ago.