To think any parent would do the same? Or am I bonkers

[Doritosandsourcream]

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)

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.

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.

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.

It was the weirdest feeling I have never felt adrenaline like it.

aibu? How would you have handled it? The hotel did absolutely nothing.

And if another, unsupervised child started shoving your child would you grab them and tell them to stop?

I’d probably have done the same honestly, and no this is NOT “culturally appropriate” for Germans - the German families I know are very anti-smacking/pro-gentle parenting types. Making a six year old bleed is definitely not acceptable behaviour in any part of Germany I have lived or visited.

The smugness is quite German though I’m afraid! I think it is just an unfortunate difference in body language, but it can be maddening.

Yep, I cant believe it either.

OP doesn't parent or watch her child in a busy area despite being "little", then uses violence against another person.

It’s been said repeatedly but let’s try again.
Punching the man did not protect the child. The child was at no further risk.

He deserved it. It doesn’t matter whether the kids we’re pushing and shoving one another, a normal adult doesn’t physically attack a small child. He deserved it.
Well done OP for teaching this arsehole a lesson.

Were you there to witness exactly what happened? Even OP hasn't confirmed she say the man doing anything.

I hope you didn't hurt your hand op.

Good for you.

There is a HUGE difference between an adult deliberately making a decision to physically harm a child, and the child's parent lashing out at that adult in shock and anger.

Her son won't see a hypocrite, he will see that he has parents who love him and will protect him and keep him safe. And that's worth infinitely more than impressing every random on a Mumsnet thread.

They didn’t protect him or keep him safe though, did they?
They failed to intervene when he reported another child being unpleasant, gave him advice (push her) which escalated the situation, allowed him to be unsupervised in a potentially dangerous area (restaurant with hot food being carried about) and then lashed out at someone who was no longer a threat to him.

I think my DH would have got there before me but yes I’d have done the same. What an absolute pr**ck.

Sorry but yes if any man/woman i dont know is touching my son, hurting him they are getting a punch

I'm getting rage just thinking about it. The thought of someone hurting my child kills me

Sounds like the bloke fucked around and found out.

I'd have done the same, good for you!

As for what you were teaching your son, I'd say you taught him that he is loved, worthy of protection and has a mam who's always going to have his back.

My mum did the same when an adult convinced me (7) to hurt my younger sibling (4). She smacked 10 shades of shit out of the woman, got cautioned and do you know what? It made me feel very loved and looked after in a scary world!

sounds like OP needs to keep a better eye on her kids. Because whatever the other girl did whatever her son did and whatever the other dad did: bottom line is her son was already complaining about the girl 2 days ago.

Keep your small children where you can see them, and give them the tools to handle other annoying kids. Teach them how to play nicely but set boundaries. Then nobody else needs to step in when they see your child push their child.

No..no one had ever taken me down a peg or two in my life. Nor would I attempt to do so to someone else.
The thread is full of people praising OP for an action that could have had serious consequences for her. She could have been badly hurt or arrested. She did an understandable thing, but it was not a sensible thing. Would you be saying 'good on you' if the man had hospitalised her or her husband, or she was at the police station being charged with assault?
I haven't said a word in support of the man who hurt her child or in any way as much as implied it was acceptable, so please don't address these silly remarks and hyperbole to me.

Exactly!

@Warum yes I was there, I saw the whole thing 🙄

Well, I bet you wiped the smirk right off his face. Seriously, I'd probably do the same if someone put their hands on my child.

no of course I wouldn’t have punched him in the face, I’m not a psycho.

Did that pointless comment sound cleverer in your head?

Quite surprised how many people think punching someone in the face is ok for an action they may or may not have committed.

No OP not any parent would act this way.

Cool story bro

This sounds like a bad sitcom sketch! You shouldn't have taken you kid out of school. You should have nipped the teasing in the bud 2 days earlier. You shouldn't let your 6 year old wander around a buffet and you certainly should punch people in the face. It should have never have escalated.

So you'd cause actual bodily harm to a stranger, but you can't bring yourself to write the word "prick" on an anonymous online forum?

I think a single punch to the face is restrained in the circumstances. I'm already imagining myself kicking just from putting myself in your shoes. I would lose no sleep over it at all. I wouldn't care if anyone watching (or on mumsnet for that matter) thought I lacked class or was a chav etc. And I would tell my son, as I always do, that you hit back.

I'm satisfied with this story's ending, OP. Well done on standing up for your child. Hope it ruined his day.