"I'll give you a slap . . . "

[WhoseGotMyEyebrows]

Was waiting to take my dd into nursery this morning and one little girl did something naughty, her mum went over to her and smacked her bum and told her off, the boy she was playing apparently did something naughty as well (although I didn't see what it was) and the mum said "stop that or you'll get a slap too!"

I hate that. It's the slap word and also the smacking (I know I shouldn't judge) but it made me what to take my dd, go collect my older one and run for the hills! There are a lot of parents like that at the school and it's horrible!

DS2 still remembers the occasion when he was tantrumming in Tesco, and I threatened to pull down his trousers and smack his bottom .

I didn't do it of course, but he remembers the occasion, (I don't), and tells me it worked, and that he shut up. In my defence I can only say that I must've been extremely stressed.

Only this weekend I told my DS (11yo) that he 'wasn't too big for a smacked bum!!!' and we laughed heartily... Sorry you live in such a rough area but you don't have to copy them.

OneHandFlapping Think we've all been that stressed at one point or another!

CogitoErgoSometimes It's not that rough really, just a real mixture! There are some lovely ones and then there are "those"! I wasn't sure if I was overreacting by feeling like I did.

Sympathies - I think it's horrible for small children to witness this kind of carry on - and totally out of order for this woman to threaten another child, whether she meant it or not (presumably not).

Also, I think all nursery staff have a duty to challenge parents when they witness or hear threats of physical punishment, and are supposed to say 'that isn't recommended' or something. Or maybe that is just our borough.

I quite often say to my little boy "I'm going to smack your bum" to which he replies by turning round, sticking his bum out and smacking it himself - it makes me giggle so much!

I do hate it when you see people hit their kids, one guy in my uni class asked if I ever hit ds, he's TWO ffs why would I be hitting him? I told him this and he muttered something about kids being wild and under disciplined, I just don't get why anybody would hit a 2 y/o, if he's being a brat I will usually sit him on the sofa or let him strop it out - he's too young to be naughty!

Blu Sorry, I don't think I explained properly. The second childs mum threatened to slap her child, not the first mum who had already smacked her own.

I'm just amazed that some people have the nerve to smack their children in or outside a nursery knowing how staff have to report things like this if seen!

I've seen quite a few children smacked in public before which doesn't sit comfortably with me. I'm not entirely against smacking (as such - lots of ifs and buts and cant come to a concise decision!) but I think if they can't control themselves in public, then what must they be like inside their own homes?

I also don't like hearing parents yelling or swearing at their children in public. If I see a child having a tantrum and a parent shouting at them - I just think - poor kid, no wonder. I've shouted at my own before (very rarely as I try to maintain a calm, quietish atmosphere) so again not against shouting - but there's a time and a place and only in extreme circumstances is it required imo.

I don't like my child witnessing this sort of thing either.

If a nursery worker said it's not recommended to smack my child I would be furious. Fortunately we are still, just allowed to choose how we discipline our own children.

Fortunately we are still, just allowed to choose how we discipline our own children.

Is that true? I wasn't sure actually.

I had thought of mentioning it to the nursery staff but not sure if they would be interested. Thoughts?

Fortunately we are still, just allowed to choose how we discipline our own children.

Fortunately if you come to Scotland and shake your child or hit your child with an object you can be prosecuted. Depending on the circumstances you can be prosecuted for smacking too. You can't just hit an adult, why should you be able to hit a child?

But do you think I should mention it to the nursery? I don't know them well as my dc has only just started so don't want them to think I am weird for mentioning it.

I'm not really sure why you would say anything to the nursery? People, in England, are allowed to smack their own children. What would you want them to do?

For me, it would depend on the smack. If I thought it was excessive or extreme then yes I'd report it to the nursery staff. If it was more of a tap or something which you wouldn't think caused much physical harm to the child then probably not.