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.

I wouldn't have done that for the simple reason that you didn't witness anything your son said. I'm not saying he is lying - I'm sure he isn't, but you need to be cautious. That's out the window now, anyway. You should be prepared that he may well report you to the police, OP. The only assault that was definitely witnessed by a large audience was you punching him. It may be on video.

From another 'half-German-ish' person (great description!) - what Brefugee said.

Physical chastisement of children is illegal in Germany (and has been since 2000). Unlike in parts of the UK.

How good is your German these days?
Perhaps having a good grasp of the language of the country you visit would help?
Many Germans speak very good English, of course some don't (especially outwith the bigger cities).

Well, quite. Major Chinese burn plus scratchy nails?!

No-one saw the German dad do anything, it's just what the 6-yr old said. The same 6-yr old who hit the little German girl and presumably knew he was in trouble.

You didn't like the expression on his face so you punched him. If I was in the hotel I'd have called the police, you are wildly out of control of yourself with no glimpse of what is acceptable or reasonable.

I don’t condone violence but there is a big bit of me really hopes that you hurt him badly. Even if it’s just his ego being bruised by being hit by a woman.

What a nasty piece of work.

Its never good to use violence, and hopefully you will never be put in this position or anything like it again, but in this case, given you have no legal address, I’m kind of glad you punched him!!! Eek. I feel weird saying that because I’m I pacifist and hate violence. There is something about adult to child violence that boils my blood!

And this is why I self cater abroad....

Also, unless you home school, surely your kids should be in school?

And the man who was violent towards the child is ok too? Give over. Ffs. You can’t go around physically assaulting children & not expect a smack. Simple as.

Why would she be screaming at him though? Why didn't she intervene/supervise sooner?
Also, you're assuming Germans can't speak English or Brits can't speak German (the first option is more likely to be true than the second I'd imagine).

Smacking children is illegal in Germany.

Just wanted to say that the OP's prejudices against Germans are bloody odd. I've lived in Germany and have German friends. The stereotype the OP describes is bollocks. Like all nationalities, Germans come in all types of people.

.....and Germany isn't one of those countries.

You can see ample amounts of people here agreeing with me, so I'm afraid your 90% does not hold up.

All these ‘hard’ posters and their husbands who would run over and punch the man ‘or worse’, are making me cringe. Such Jeremy Kyle show unattractive behaviour!

We mentioned her saying he was German, correct.
Nobody mentioned race until you did.
German is a nationality.

Why the f is he touching your child
Children have there own little squabbles no need for adults to get involved
I probably wouldn't have hit him but would have had a go

to be fair, i have experienced the absolute crassness of anti-authoritarian German parents not stopping their toddler smacking my baby in the head with a wooden brick. And i have removed the brick and said firmly to the child that isn't acceptable behaviour and not to do it again. Weak protests from the parent are met with an icy stare and that is that.

Other occasions i have seen elderly ladies chastise older kids for crossing against a red pedestrian light with the "that's not a good example for younger children" and they have sheepishly apologised.

Would like to know where the poster was where nobody spoke English though. Not something I've ever encountered, although i have heard about it in places where they don't particularly like foreigners who don't attempt German at all.

Why didn't she intervene sooner?
How do we trust her version to be accurate?

People react badly when someone assaults their little kid not being hard just an emotional parent the guy has no right to touch the little boy

It's ironic that the OP thinks that German parents promote being violent to children when England is one of very few European countries that still allows parents to hit their children. It's been illegal in Germany for 23 years. The first country in the world doing so was Sweden in 1979. England is waaay behind almost all western countries when it comes to this.

People also take MN poster's accounts as 100% accurate?

If someone hit my child in my presence I might well hit them myself. But when I wasnt there to see it probably not. But my child was always supervised at a buffet to avoid them being a nuisance and if they had reported problems with another child I'd have dealt with it sooner.

As for them being German - may not have understood what you were saying to him. Of course it's relevant to say that. Commenting on different attitudes to discipline less acceptable. I've been told German children are not brought up to share, that may have caused friction with your child but that should have been dealt with sooner.

Two teenagers almost knocked my newborn sons pram into the road so I tried to give them a smack in the mouth, fortunately my husband was there so no harm done. I get it op. The man sounds vile.