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.

you go to the police, that is how you handle a situation like that - dont approach the perpetrator yourself at all.

He hurt your child, report him

A random stranger assaulted her child I doubt she was worried about being classy. It's you that needs to get your priorities straight

I have told DS that he can’t punch people or put his hands on anyone and it’s unacceptable.

This sheds an interesting light on the situation, as suspected the OP is probably telling a half story and this man has managed to be caught up in it.

And I guess that’s why you’re a violent individual who teaches children violent reactions. Congratulations?

So you cemented that by punching someone?

The thing is this all happened an hour before our transfers arrived back to the airport. The hotel receptionist said police will usually take 2 hours and that we would need to be there to do a report it all too late.

I wouldn't have had my child away playing with children who had already caused them grief - your child is 6 and you didn't see the event or what led to it ?

Your words mean nothing though, because you spoke in actions.
You have yet to explain why this person's nationality is relevant.
I wonder if there is a German version of MN where one could read his version of the story, and see how that paints the situation.

Sounds like you were happy enough there your son get pushed around all week and didn't address it with the parent when you should have. So not surprised it has totally got out of hand. Ridiculous for all concerned. I hope the hotel call the police.

Is this a torturous allegory?

Nothing to do with that situation that was ds 1 year old being fussy.

And you expect him to listen to you after this?

and why the fuck does it matter that the family were German

I have to say, if someone assaulted my child like that and had absolutely no remorse, simply giving them a telling off would feel a bit wet. I've never actually hit anyone in my life, but in this situation I can see myself doing the same, OP. The police most likely wouldn't have done anything if you had reported him.

Had he been a 'Brit' no-one would have commented, maybe we need to get away from the tiresome rhetoric that it's only 'Brits' who misbehave on holiday.

Is it really so hard to look beyond an OP’s first post?

Her child is 6. A grown man decides to twist the arm of a 6 yo for pushing his child earlier in the day when he could have approached the parents. OP’s DH rightly told him off.

I don’t agree with OP’s actions of punching him, but I can’t say I don’t understand them.

I have to admit though I would have expected at least someone to see this guy grabbing some random child and say something or report it, even if assumed that it could be his child.

We all know that Brits and Germans can be among the worst behaved on holiday, the point is why did OP think it relevant to mention that this man was German to start with?

You shouldn’t have punched him but i understand why you did it. Unfortunately he can now say you assaulted him, but I doubt he’ll do anything considering he did the same to a young child. The correct thing to do of course would have been to call the police, but it’s all very well to say that in hindsight.

It still sheds an interesting light on how the holiday has been going though.
I am still also not sure why you didn't intervene sooner and/or supervise your 6 year old more closely, plus why the nationality of the man was relevant.
There is always more than one side to every story and I expect the (German) man might present it in the same biased way you have.

because as me and DH were saying on the way home maybe they do things different to us. Over here we would go talk to the parents it would be rare for an adult to attack a 6 year old in the uk. I know Germans are quite strict and tough that’s why I added it in. (Cultural differences)

Off track a little, but there are comments about why the OP had mentioned the family is German. The answer is simple - she was describing them 👊🏼.

I would’ve punched him too.

I know it’s not the right thing to do, but your child now knows that you’re his fiercest protector