I Took my 3 year old son and 1 year old son to a play area in a garden centre. Both of my kids had been playing well. Another mum came with her boy and girl who seemed only a little older than my kids.
The whole time they were all playing, there were no issues or incidents. Both of mine were well behaved. About half an hour later, this mum jumps up into my eldest’s (3 year old) face and starts yelling aggressively almost screaming. My eldest froze and my youngest was looking stressed. After my eldest was distressed for the rest of the afternoon.
So what happened: the was this board where it had all moveable cogs etc according to the mum my child was not sharing. I didn’t see any aggression or any sign of an issue. I will be the first to apologise for my kid because he has developmental delays including speech that he struggles with. So I don’t walk around thinking he doesn’t do anything wrong if you get me. But in this instance he did nothing wrong. He was trying to play with the other kids and when they went to the board he went over to play with them and did not push them. Even the other kids were not obviously vocal that they were unhappy. From where I sat they seemed to just be playing together, I couldn’t see anything obvious so I don’t know. That’s unfortunately something he’s still learning, about how to play with other, understand personal space and like I said communication.
So the mum starts yelling at him that he’s done this 3 times already and he needs to stop and starts shaming him for what he was doing. I was in such shock because I was sitting there and at no point did she come to me or mention her kids were unhappy. Fair enough they want to play on their own or want their own space but why not as the mum tell me what’s going on so I could deal with it. So I told her that if she has a problem, you speak to me not to my child. Then she repeated what she said to him. Again I told her that if there’s an issue you speak to the mum not yell at the child. It’s a small space and there was only the 2 of us adults there. Then I went to explain that he’s not trying to push but play and doesn’t understand and she cut me off at development delays and said her son has the same as if it was an excuse to yell at my child. Zero apology to him and walked off as if what she did was ok.
Please someone tell me that it’s not just me who would be angry and upset. If my child is making yours uncomfortable absolutely I will explain to mine. But why assume it’s malicious and as a fully grown woman scream at a 3 year old and not speak to me when I’m sitting right there. And again he’s a CHILD, aren’t young children still learning about playing together, yes we teach and guide but why treat them like some awful bully.