Random child kicked my baby

[Sailinghappy]

Just wondering what everyone else would do in this scenario? I'm not sure how I'm supposed to react?!

My husband and I just took our 11month old baby girl to a play centre designed for 0-4 years. She was happily playing next to us when an older boy approached (3 yo) and they smiled at each other, he did a high five and she responded. He then looked over his shoulder at his mum quickly (who wasn't texting on her phone) and kicked her in stomach!! Hard!!!! My husband leapt up and shouted "oi!!!" at which point the mum came over. She said he does it all the time, he's learnt it from his brothers and he also bites?!!! She old him to apologise but he shook his head... so she just gave up and let him go play again - near my daughter!!!! I had her on my lap playing with a musical book and he came right over trying to snatch it from her. I felt so uncomfortable we just had to leave.

What can you do in this scenario?? I don't want to shout at another person's child but frankly I've never seen such weak pathetic parenting!!!!

Meant to say she *was texting on her phone. If I knew my child liked to kick/ bite babies, I can't imagine letting them play in the play centre without watching them properly. Would you have said more to the mum?

She should be supervising more closely. But there’s nothing much you can do.

If he snatched, I would take it back saying baby was looking at it. When DD was a baby I found this stuff hard too but it's not fair to leave or change what she's doing because of a child not being supervised who is violent. I'd be firm, use a bored voice, not give them attention, directly ask their parent to move them or even speak to staff if necessary

There's nothing you can do! The same scenario happened to my DS. We went to a play area 0-4 year old as well and an older boy kept pushing my son over in the ball pit, and he also kept throwing balls at him! I really wanted to tell him off but I just took my DS out and went McDonalds instead! Parents really need to watch how their child behaves! It looks like his parent was just sitting on her phone all the while!

I’ve had this before, and if the parent in question doesn’t deal with it I tend to get a bit ratty. She should have dealt with it properly and if she knew he has form for this, been bloody watching him! (As I did when DS1 was biting! I was like a bloody shadow)

I probably would have spoken to the staff, surely if they've got a kid in who likes to kick and bite babies then they might keep an eye out and ask them to leave if it carried on!

I would tell the child firmly not to hit/snatch whatever. If he carried on, I would take him back to his mum/speak to the Mum and say he keeps hurting your DC, can she come and watch him closely please.

If you’ve got a hitter/biter you’ve got to shadow them in places like that.

I would rather tell someone else’s child off than make my own DC who have done nothing wrong leave.

Mine was a bit unpredictable (hitting, biting, pushing) between about 18m and 2. He was never out of arms reach at places like that. To be honest I tended to avoid them because it was exhausting supervising him that closely. His mum needed to be trying a lot harder by the sounds of it.

I'd have spoken to the parents and if that failed the staff, the child didn't suffer any consequence so had no motivation to learn not to do it, then leaving the play area would have been a consequence.

Them, not then.

I get a bit fish wife in these situations I’d of probably had a go at the Mum. If he came anywhere near my baby again, I’d of told the kid off loudly.

Happens all the time. You'll need to get used to telling off other people's children. A firm 'NO' from an adult they don't know is often enough if the parents are useless.

I'd of told the child off and snatched it back.

I'm quite happy to tell other people's children off, but I'm an ex-teacher and I'm used to it.

I think it's important to show to your child how to behave (admittedly at 11 months the details will be lost on her, but as she gets older it will sink in). So I'd have told the boy off for kicking, and then kept him away from my child. If he came back and snatched a book away, I'd have taken the book back and told him that we don't snatch.

Trying to get the parent(s) to do anything if they're disengaged is a waste of time.

I talk nice and quietly but with a strong tone, go play somewhere else or you'll go back to mummy. I've never stood for any nonsense off people who cba to parent their own children.

I would have told the child off
But I'm a nursery teacher so I'm used to disciplining other people's children
Next time, say firmly "Stop Don't do that, we don't kick/ hit/ snatch"

That's awful. I'd have shouted at the kid in shock, unfortunately. I'd have told his mother off too.

I’d have told the child off too. I would grab the book and explain that “we share and she was using it first “. Hate lazy parenting.

I recently very politely told off another child who stole a sticker from my DD. Just said that it wasn’t nice to take things from people. His dad laid into me in a very threatening way. I won’t be telling off another child in a hurry; it really knocked me for 6, particularly as I had been so careful to ensure what I said to the child was reasonable and polite. Just saying.

I would discipline the child if the parent doesn't. If the parent doesn't like it they should watch their own kids and I would tell them that.

I would also tell the child off and asked him to play elsewhere. I would not let them to come any closer to my baby. Snatching is not acceptable at all. I don't know how much talking to their parents would help..I can imagine it wouldn't at all

Yeah agree with pps
A firm no from you to the snatching/hitting child
Then move your child away
If it continues then i would speak to the child's parent
My dd is 10 this year, unfortunately you get used to children who aren't properly supervised so you have to be the responsible adult
We're now at the stage where my dd knows there are horrible people in the world and its how we react that matters
You can't change other people

I've shown my dd how to be kind but not to be a walk over

I would tell the boy off & screw the consequences

I go with a firm “DON’T DO THAT. let’s go and find your mum.” March them over and tell them to watch their child, they are hurting others.

I then repeat every time the other kid comes near us until the other parent gets the message.