aibu to shout at someone elses ds in a soft play area if parents arn't there watching him and he ....

[bogie]

Is laying on the cargo net on the top floor of the soft play spitting on the toddlers below in the under 5's bit???

I really made him cry but that was because I said I was going to find his mum to tell her not because i told him off.
I don't think iabu I think he got off lightly if he had spat on my ds I would have lost it a bit I think.

yes agree re authority

I wouldn't shout, mainly because kids will then recognise that you are not in authority really.

I say , quite loudly, "NOW we DON'T spit here, I'm afraid. ". That's always worked, actually.

I was travelling to work on a bus a couple of weeks ago with DD in her buggie.It picked up a group of about 25 kids from the local high school,their behaviour and language was appalling,and when two boys started fighting in the aisle and crashed into DD, I stood up and SCREAMED at them all to sit down, shut up and behave themselves immediately.They all did!

When they had all been dropped off the bus driver said he felt he could say anything because he felt intimidated

I mean couldn't say anything

Its a minefield...really..

I'd certainly have said something to the boy, and used my well honed "teacher glare" that I learned at teaching college...

However, if you actually "shouted" at the boy that becomes difficult.

By all means, tell the staff, or even stand at the front of the cafe bit and holler at the parents "Who has the little boy in the "look, here comes trouble" and the snot-coloured jeans tshirt"..and speak to the parents.

Far less of a minfield for you than shouting at someone's "precious angel".

However, in saying that, if it was my DD that you spotted doing that, you have my permission to shout at her loudly, and drag her back to me for another shouting..!

I've never shouted at a child in a softplay centre. But i've certainly got down to eyeball level and done my best Clint Eastwood voice and told them to knock it off..in a sortof whispery, enraged voice.. good scary stuff. Very effective