not to know whether to smack nasty mother in teeth or ask her if she gets enough help with her children.

[imaynotbeperfectbutimokmummy]

Of course, i did nothing! But my God, i was although im not sure who with.

Was in the public toilets (nice) with DD today, she was doing her usual faff about. Another mum came in with her DD, about the same age, if not a little younger. Ive seen this woman before having a cat fight with another woman about her kids in the middle of the street. I thought with my judgey hat on "i bet she ends up screaming at this little girl". I was right, she was just about keeping it civil when i was there, but as i walked out she bellowed, "Come ON, i don't have time for this, you are gong to get a smack". (My mother was waiting outside and she was open mouthed as i think she thought it was me!)

My initial reaction was to march straight back into the toilets grab the woman by the throat and tell her if she so much as laid a finger on her little girl i would teach her to pick on someone her own size. However, it just made me really sad. This woman is obviously struggling, she looked terrible - from what was being screamed across the road at the other woman a few weeks back indicates that there are issues surrounding her children. So, STILL angry, because this woman is blatantly not coping, but IS she getting any support to help her? She wasn't a young mum. I THINK she is a single parent (so that is tough in itself). Of course i don't KNOW that she isn't getting help, but i just can't help but thinking that a little girl of about three, should not be bellowed at and threatened just because she took her time having a wee.

Tis very easy to judge another parent, im not perfect, but i couldnt help but want to say to this woman, "you know what, leave your DD with me for a couple of hours, go and sort your head out and i'll take her to the swings with my DD". But of course i didn't, I just walked off wearing my judgeypants.

Does this sort of thing ever happen in waitrose?

P.s. well done Iris.

Lol@shineon

iris

It never happens in Waitrose

Emotional - I wonder what SS might make of a call about a shouting mother, I'd rather hope they are busy dealing with the children being starved to death.

Don't get me started!

I was outside Sainsburys parking in the mother and baby bay (had baby) when a car was driven in next to mine and 3 stringvest types got out (no baby).

Me: You should not be parking here. You don't have a child.

Them: What the fk? None of your fking business!

Me: (loud tut tut while shaking head sadly) You know yourselves what you're doing is wrong. You should be ashamed of yourselves!

I noted their registration then reported them to customer services. Then I heard it broadcast on the tannoy!

While I'm at it...

Van parked on rural road, 3 stringvest types in field with greyhounds.

I pulled up, got out, marched over.Jotted registration number than walked back to car.

4th and 5th stringvest types were in the van, they wound down the window: What's up love?

Me: Are you illegally hare coursing?

Them: No, we're just taking the dogs for a walk.

Me: (Disbelieving stare and drives off to them wolf whistling)

I then called the police.

Apple, I don't mean to be offensive or melodramatic, but as I said - if there is a genuine concern that the child is being abused, why would anyone not try to do something... yes, there are worse cases... but that doesn't mean that any case of a child being mistreated is ok. A genuine concern that more than shouting is going on.

Emotional - My mother was a pretty shite mum and many a time I begged my nan to call SS and get us taken into care, although I'd suggest that a 9 year old didn't think of that all by herself, however now I've met people who were in a much much worse situation than I was (and we were regularly hit with a belt) I thank god every day I was not listened to and SS involved, talk about out of the frying pan into the fire.

Just re read that made no sense sorry, I meant that SS were not called/involved when I was a child and I'm grateful for that because however horrid my mum was, she was still my mum and did care, a friend I have as an adult was taken from her abusive family (physically abused) and placed in a foster family where she was emotionally abused and she said she preferred the hitting. She has never married, has three children with 3 fathers and cannot bond with any of them, at least I could just cut mine off at 18 when I was too big to be smacked.

But care isn't necessarily the immediate next step. Social workers can help in ways that don't fit the stereotype of tearing families apart, and even if it does come to that, foster parents are not all abusive. there are other ways and good people. I appreciate that some people in care have a truly hard time, but there are some kids who don't get any intervention that have just as bad a time.

sorry we cross posted there - sorry to hear about your friend.

I would agree - the physical heals much faster than the emotional. Though neither is great

On a beach I saw 3 stringvest types bullying a litle girl who could not stand up to have her top put on because her mother kept slapping her legs and she was crying and the mother was screaming at her.

The other 2 were men who just kept out of it or now and then smacked the little girl across the head without saying much.

I was appalled as most people were, but they all just ignored the scene, as people do.

I walked up to the woman and said brightly, ' let me help you, she's a bit tired isn't she? Probably all this sun!' and picked up the top while she looked at me stunned. The little girl stopped crying so quick as a flash I got the top over her head and the mum smiled back at me while all 3 muttered thanks!

Then I said my little girl was difficult too in the sun and then went back to my place.

I could NOT have done nothing.

loving the string vest ref iris, i always consider a string vest wearer to be old (like alf garnet) or gay (like the village people)

I have some rather fetching string vests for my ds s . They look very cute with their long shorts and dreadlocks.

I am seriously reconsidering now though. God only knows what sort of life I am condeming them to

'But to threaten to smack a child for being slow? Thats not on '

nor is saying you want to 'smack nasty mother in teeth' imo

IrisScent well done to you - people do need to do this sort of thing much more often.

So your response to her over-aggressive treatment of her daughter was to want to smack her in the teeth?