To have "parented" someone else's child?

[coverp]

We were at a birthday party for a friend of DS (turning 4) this afternoon at a softplay/little world place. They play for an hour then have tea and cake.

There's 1 particular ride on toy that all the kids want to play on. So they're taking turns. DS has been waiting about 10 mins. It's his turn and another child (older sibling, aged 5) snatches the toy and starts riding it. DS is upset. I look at the mother who rolls her eyes, shrugs and laughs.

DS comes over. I say "never mind, let's let Freddie have a turn and we can play something else. We'll make sure you get a turn". 15 mins later and Freddie is still riding the bike (DS has asked to have a turn several times and been ignored) and we get given a 5 minute warning for tea. Freddie starts taunting DS - riding the bike over to him, getting off then jumping back on when DS tries to get on. I look again at the mother who is laughing. I walk over and say to Freddie "that's not kind. It's time for DS to have his turn now, get off please". Which he does.

Mother then comes up to me and says "I don't need you parenting my kids thanks". To which I reply "well I thought someone needed to". She's spitting nails and storms away.

YABU - helicopter parent, let DS deal with situations himself

YANBU - you gave her every opportunity to step in on unacceptable behaviour, perfectly fine to make sure DS gets his turn

Stupid bloody woman. Good on you for telling her.

I have no issue telling other kids off at the park etc if they are rude/mean etc. Just do it nicely and kindly and in my teacher voice and never had a problem so far 🤣

Silly cow deserved that response from the op. Some people really shouldn't have children because they're unable to bring up decent members of society. This is the reason why we have so many dickheads in society. They're brought up by parents, like this woman, without any moral compass & so the cycle continues.

He’s too old to behave like that. You handled it well OP.

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me. As you said she's chosen not to. I'd have been more inclined to say I was protecting not parenting. Protecting my son from bullies.

If it were my child who had been waiting, I would have stepped in right away. Freddie would never have been on the bike. It was not his turn.

YANBU X

I do this a lot, with my child & with others. It has to be fair & if their parents don’t tell them, I do….probably is a passive aggressive (as if they made a mistake) “ooh I think it’s such a bodies turn” then glare at them!

If my dd was to snatch when it wasn’t her turn I would tell her no & to give it back & if I didn’t, I would be fine for another parent to tell her.

You did the right thing 100%.

Yanbu. She showed a shocking lack of parenting skills and empathy.