Opened door into child’s face

[ShillyShallySherbet]

This afternoon I was with young DD in a tiny and crowded village hall vestibule waiting for an after school club to start and suddenly and desperately she needed the toilet, so I took her to the toilet. The main door to the toilets is a door you push with no window in it. Admittedly I was in a rush as I didn’t want DD to miss the start of her class and I pushed the door quite fast and it banged right into a small child’s face on the other side. The child started screaming and their mum, who was standing behind them about to pull the door from the other side, looked utterly livid. Of course I immediately apologised profusely to the mum and child but the child was so upset and the mum just shook her head at me and walked past us into the vestibule. I carried on into the toilets where DC decided she no longer need the toilet! On the way out I passed the mum comforting her child and apologised again. She ignored me. Eventually DD and the little girl, who had calmed down and was fine, went into their class but it was oh so awkward. It’s left me wondering did I deserve to be made to feel so awful. Please vote (getting my hard hat on)

YABU you should have opened the door more carefully anticipating someone could be on the other side

YANBU it was an accident and the mum should have accepted my apology

Tears are for blood, teeth knocked out or broken bones only. Kid would have got a 'stop that silly noise, you're fine. Now let's get on and enjoy the activity'

😬😬😬

It was an accident. Accidents happen. We all forgot ourselves sometimes and accidentally put too much strength into something like this or accidentally smash a glass etc.

The mother was very rude. She should have been polite and said it was okay. You'll obviously learn from what you did on your own.

It was an accident and one you apologised repeatedly for.

Nothing more to think about.

Lol.

You are right it was an accident but seriously, don't be such a dick towards your kids.

Exactly.

Teaching your child to suppress their emotions is not something to boast about.

Oh dear

OP, you knew you were in an environment where small kids were about you should have behaved accordingly.

We are all in a rush but we have to adjust to the environment to safeguard others.

I'm 100% with the other mum just be thanful she was just shaking her head as some that are very loud/aggressive would have abused you verbally at least. That is not right but it is what it is.

I really wouldn’t have given this a second thought after it happened

These things happen

But I would be disciplining your own daughter for playing silly buggars with the “I need a wee, I don’t need a wee” act

@Kitcaterpillar, sure am! It's only one type of person who manages to hurt random strangers while going about normal activities. The British man. It takes a degree of clueless arrogance and entitlement that just doesn't exist in any other society I'm familiar with. This guy needs to learn that the world doesn't have to move on his schedule. He charged into that room knowing very well that there was a risk of someone else being on the other side of the door. But he decided his lack of planning meant he could do as he pleased.

Alright, Liam Neeson. Simmer down.

YANBU because it was obviously just a nasty accident, happens to us all at some point. You were super apologetic and the Mum should just have been an adult and accepted that. Sheesh, I couldn’t be arsed feeling so angry if someone accidentally hurt my child in a very minor way (I’m sure the child will be fine) and then apologised profusely.

Sounds like the other mum was having a bad day. I could’ve reacted like her on a grumpy, tired and stressed day, and afterwards would’ve felt embarrassed, but then the it her mum wouldn’t have known. Could also have open end the door into someone’s face being in a rush and most likely could’ve opened door like a Colombian cop on a raid. We’re all imperfect, basically, neither of your are super unreasonable you’re just people.

It was an accident, easily done, nobody was seriously hurt.

YABU to expect the mother to switch focus from comforting her child to make you feel better. It’s difficult to be compassionate in a moment of heightened emotion like that - best to just apologise and leave people to calm down.

"Things happen." They do but the OP should have been fully aware when rushing around that there may be a toddler/s on the other side of the door aftet all the place was full of toddlers.

It was an accident. You couldn't have anticipated someone standing so close on the other side and it is often difficult to know how hard to push a door because some are heavy and need a decent shove, others are light and fly open!

I would probably have spoken to the club organiser (maybe email them?) to see if details needed to go into an accident book.

Poor you OP. Get a small box of chocolates or something and if you run into that mum and child again, hand it over. You'll feel better and a nice example for your daughter.

I'm not trying to stick the boot in OP but I think it's unreasonable to just burst through a toilet door. I'm always shocked when people do that. Ill be sitting there doing my business when THUMP there's someone trying to get in. Thankfully the locks usually work but still, It's a toilet! There should be a cautious pause as you open.

This is the sort of thing that would happen to me and I would feel terrible. However, if my child was the one who got bashed by the door I wouldn't be upset with you about it. It's one of those things don't worry

The angry woman shouldn’t have let her child stand behind a door that opened towards them. You went through the door at pace with a child who needed the loo. Assuming you didn’t open it with a battering ram, she’s the idiot in this scenario. Think no more of it.

I don't think you were unreasonable to accidentally open a door in someones face, but there is no need to slam doors open in a public place..I would be annoyed too in the other mother's place, a gentle know from a door opening is completely different to someone on the other side flinging the door open.

this

It was an accident, you apologised when it happened and a second time and checked the child was ok. Also, agree that my kids quite often have stood where a door could easily open into them and i’ve told them plenty of times not to. Unfortunately, the child learnt the hard way it is probably best not to stand where a door can open right into you.

I just want to add that places like this should have windo doors where you can see who is on the other side

YABU, what if the mum coming out had been holding a tiny baby she'd been changing, rather than a toddler/older child?

It was an accident and I wouldn't dwell on it, but you could have avoided it by being a bit more careful in a place with children and families. I don't see that the mum and child could have done anything to avoid it.

Not the OPs responsibility.

I wouldn’t give it a second thought.

Then the tiny baby would have got hurt and it still wouldn’t be the OPs fault

Dont allow your child to stand in places they could easy get hurt accidentally

And/Or they could have locked toilet door