do you ever interfere when you see other parents treating their children badly?

[Mavornia]

When I was in town today I saw a mother with an 18mth/2 yr old little girl in a pram at the bus-stop. The little girl was holding a barbie doll up to the mother and the mother slapped her hand away roughly. She held the doll up again (didn't throw it, wasn't shouting, simply held it aloft) and the mother slapped her across the face, right across the eyes. The child just sat silently back in the pram and covered her face with her hand.

I'm so upset - I stared at the woman and shook my head but didn't say anything. Can't stop thinking about the little girl and every time I look at my own ds I could burst into tears.

My mum was with me and a few months ago she was in a cafe when she saw a woman slapping her baby son roughly for no real reason. My mum spoke up and the woman flipped out, overturned her chair and a table in the cafe and her husband threatened to hit my father - all very upsetting and made my mum a bit wary of intervening again.

Still, feel awful that neither of us said anything today.

God, if she does that in public...

I doubt you saying anythign to her would have changed her behaviour at all. I hate seeing stuff like this. I saw a mum call her son the C word once.

I know, scorpio1, I was wondering what she does behind closed doors which makes it even worse

things like this would have always upset but since I have had my own child I find it unbearable

wish I had said something

how awful Mavornia, did any one else notice as well?

That's very horrible. Problem is if they're that violent to their littleones what are going to be like to you if you say something. Unfortunately if they don't know that is wrong already you're unlikely to change anything.

Poor poor child. There are some hideous things going on. Sometimes I think it's better not to know.

Poor little girl
But what could you of done she probarly would of told you to mind your own f**king business.(in that tone anyway)

That child is going to grow up so miserable.

It makes me want to follow them home, find out where they live and then report it the the Social Services.

Is it not illegal to hit children? I don't know the latest developments on that. But hitting them breeds more and more violence. Poor souls.

Sounds like both mother and child need help.
I don't know what I would have done in that situation.

This just makes me so sad.
I don't know if I'd have said anything tbh, but I find it so hard to think anyone could just lash out at a child.

Don't think anyone else noticed

and it's true - I doubt she would have had a road-to-damascus conversion even if I had spoken

more than likely would have turned out like the scenario with my mum in the cafe - and my mum was so worried that they would go outside and take it out on the child even more

sigh - will try to put it out of my head

Maybe the only consolation - and it's not much of one - is that if the mother so lacks control and does this in public, maybe she does it in front of ppl who do know her in RL and can report her.

I know they are trying to ban smacking but I don`t think its gone through.

My friend was saying that in the U.S.A if you shout abuse at your child in public you are taken down like a ton of bricks.Never mind smacking

I feel awful that I did nothing as a mother shouted at her 10 yr old daughter who was crying that "unless you behave, I'll call social services who will put you in care"

Oh dear, that does sound deeply unpleasant to witness

Just think if you had gone over to her and slapped her for what you had witnessed she would have you done for GBH
But she gets away with slapping a toddler

I think it's OK to say something, the same if you see kids out alone doing something dangerous or bullying etc. If everyone in society is too scared to speak to each other and let each other know what is not acceptable, we all get more isolated. of course, you might get a scary reaction...