There was a baby at clinic yesterday, who can't have been more than a year and a half in age at the most. She was filthy; i don't mean that sort of 'just puked after leaving the house' dirty, i mean caked in dirt. She wanted her bottle, so her mother gave it to her and told her to do it herself, then shouted at her when the baby tried and squirted some milk over the man who was with them.
She ignored her and let walk around the clinic, she was wandering behind the reception desk, and twice she actually left the clinic and me and another mother had to go get her before she got to the carpark/fell down the stairs. She SMACKED her. Then her mother went for a cigarette (did i mention she was heavily pregnant?) and when the little girl tried to follow, grabbed her and slammed her down on the chair next the man, who did a crossword and ignored her as she again wandered off and i had to fetch her.
The baby was taking toys and bottles from other kids (not her fault obviously) but nobody was telling her she shouldn't do it or apologising. She took DS's toy and threw it in a bin, then kept wandering away again. When she became distressed, the man with her 'comforted' her by saying her name, with his back to her, from the other side of the room.
The other mother who was also helping look after her was really angry, and i was almost in tears. I wish i'd done something, but i don't know what. I keep thinking about her; i've been thinking about her all night. She was a really placid kid- it's not as if she was screaming and being 'naughty'
It was one thing ignoring her safety, but smacking and shouting at a baby? If that's how she behaves in public, i keep wondering what she's like with her in private.
Anyway- just needed to get that off my chest.