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.

People have lost children to murder and managed never to punch anyone. If this is your reaction it says everything anyone else might need to know about you.

Totally agree with you! 👏

For what feels like the 6 millionth time -
She. Did. Not. Protect. Her. Child.
Her actions prior to the incident led to an escalation and then she punched someone out of revenge and because she didn’t like the look on his face.

Well said. Too many people get away with terrible behaviour because too many of us are scared to stand up to them.

There are ways to stand up to someone that don’t involve a punch in the gob.

She protected her child from feeling that a grown man could hurt them and get away with it. She probably also protected other people or children that that man may now think twice about touching.

Unfortunately a certain type of person does not respond to words and needs a smack in the face to wake up a bit. Sad but true. The vast majority of people can be reasoned with. A man who has assaulted a young child can not.

🎵 For she’s a jolly good fella🎵 😆

A man who has the OP assumes has assaulted a young child can not, and she has yet to confirm she actually witnessed any of what happened.

Leaving aside the situation put forward in the OP, children don't feel protected by witnessing violence. They find violence frightening, especially if they perceive the adults who care for them as being out of control. We are supposed to represent safety. How will a small child know that Mummy isn't going to punch him in the face if he does something she doesn't like?

Presumably all these cheerleaders are so used to seeing people thump one another that they just don't care (or think in an Eastenders kind of way "yeah, she's smacking him becoz she luvs me"), which makes me wonder what shitty adult behaviour some people posting on this thread witnessed when they were growing up.

No. She didn’t. He’d already done it (if he had - there’s no way to know that). She made things scarier by risking violence against herself. He saw her out of control. That’s not reassuring in any way. If she’d spoken to the man, the hotel, the police she’d still have protected him from feeling someone who hurt him could just ‘get away with it’.

If she really had wanted to protect her child she would have intervened earlier and taken proper care of him! She punched someone she didn't like the look of and who she assumed had injured her child.

Thank you for your question, becuase I was there at the soft play but could not literally see every area. So i could not say who started it, who elongated it, but I COULD help to find a solution and a way to make the next few days better. As adults we need to show our children the way to understand what happened and move forward.

They do. They are adults now and have told me they know they can always turn to me because I have their back. But I use my brain and words and don’t turn into a thug.

Can you describe the act of ‘self-defence’ here?

This thread is eye opening.

Yep, I'd have done that too.

For the love of god. And this dear reader is why we go self catering in villas away from other people.

Girl, you've just made my day 😂

Yes I would if a grown man physically assaulted my child. I struggle to understand anyone that wouldn’t if I’m honest.

I didn’t write the word prick as I wasn’t sure if I could. What one has to do with the other though I’ve no idea.

Who gives a shit? It would masker me feel better 🤷

Yes, that she was angry that her six year old son had been assaulted and hurt by a grown man. And that in the heat of the moment she did something that had she had time to think things through, she probably wouldn’t have. Mothering instinct took over. Hopefully this big bully might think twice before he acts like this again.

But it was ok for you to??

She punched someone she didn't like the look of and who she assumed had injured her child.

Where on earth do you get this ?

It was the wrong thing to do,but I totally understand why you did it OP! To be honest,if I had the strength,I think I would have probably done the same under the circumstances.