On holiday in the buffet eating dinner all I could hear was my son crying walking from the bar with his juice in his hand. I thought oh maybe he fell over so DH went over to him. Turns out that this little girl that has been picking on him for the past 2 days her dad has grabbed DS and twisted arm so tight he broke his skin and dug his nails into him. (German family)
How old is DS (to be going for food alone)?
Have you watched every interaction and know that the little girl always instigated the unpleasantness? How has she been 'picking on him'?
While what you describe the dad doing is clearly unreasonable, it seems odd he would do this to a child who is apparently doing nothing wrong (or had your child done something to the little girl which would also be deemed unacceptable)?
Was your child struggling with the man in any way, resisting whatever he was doing (e.g, he trying to forcefully move him away from his daughter?)
Why is the nationality relevant?
DS has been coming to me about her saying she keeps pushing him and sticking her fingers up since they arrived. DS finally got annoyed and pushed her back earlier on in the day and she told her dad. So dad got his own back on DS.
Maybe her father only witnessed your son doing the pushing, and wasn't aware his child had been doing this? The way you describe what he did does make his actions above sound unreasonable - is this what you are referring to as 'get his own back'?
I ran over to DH as he was shouting at the dad and the dad was just smirking and something just came over me and I punched him in the face.
YABVU punching him, there is no excuse, and what example is that setting to both of the children?
Never in my life have I punched anyone and I didn’t think about the consequences at the time I just kept looking at my son he was in flood of tears.
I understand this was upsetting, but you have to realise that punching someone is not the answer - unless they are already attacking you physically!
It was the weirdest feeling I have never felt adrenaline like it.
aibu? How would you have handled it?
By removing my child from the situation as soon as he mentioned any sort of issue with the other child, by keeping a closer eye on him, by mentioning it to anyone who might be running any holiday club etc (not laying blame just mentioning there seems to have been some sort of issue between the children).
The hotel did absolutely nothing.
What were you expecting them to do? Having punched another adult I am not sure they would have taken your side anyway? They may have suggested involving the police if the man really did attack your child in the way you describe, but then lots of people presumably saw you throw a punch.
They left right away went back to there
room so many other families wanted them out. The hotel did absolutely nothing it was shocking as if they didn’t know how to handle a situation like that.
Well, handling it might have involved removing you too, because you punched someone! Did you conduct a straw poll of the feelings of the other guests? Maybe the other families would have preferred you 'out' too.
You weren't in one of the Canary Isles perchance were you?