I’m ranting. There’s your warning.
We’re at playgroup today, meeting at local church that has a McDonald’s-type playland. It’s pretty cool because they open it daily to the public. Anyone can come and play, it’s cleaner than any fast food playland, and there’s a dining area right outside the play area to eat lunch. Great location for a playgroup date.
Anyway, we’re at the playland, and all of our kids are having a blast. I notice this adorable girl eyeing my baby and smiling at him. I smile at her, she smiles back. Then, she pushes my kid. I’m not lying. “No, don’t push him.”
My friend looks at me and says, “I’ve seen her hitting another kid, and touching other kids’ faces.”
I watch her again, and she starts to hit and push another kid. “No, you need to keep your hands off of him and his face. Don’t touch him.”
At this point, I’m looking around for her mother. Don’t get me wrong. I’m aware that this is a playground type of place, and that kids aren’t in sight 100% of the time. I have 3 of my own to keep my eyes on, so I do understand this. No biggie. But seriously, where is your mom when you’re hitting?
Well, she starts reaching for someone else, and I tell her “no” and start looking around. Then mom appears, “Oh no, honey, you need to stop that.” Then, back to her conversation.
Pushing, hitting, and then going to a baby in a carrier and trying to tip the baby over in it. We were standing right there and stopped her, but I’m wondering when this mom is going to do something.
5 minutes later, and I look over and see this little girl just smacking two other little girls across the face. Are you kidding me? I walk over to this lady and say, “She is hitting other kids across the face.” Now, I’m not a confrontational person, so it’s got to be bad for me to call another mom out on her kid’s behavior. And, I happen to currently have an aggressive 2 year old, which is why he wasn’t out of my sight. Keep an eye on your kid, lady. (The mother of the girls receiving the smacks, in case your wondering, was trapped in a conversation with the mother of the smacker.)
She says, surprised, “Who? My daughter?” And then proceeds to walk over and tell her, again, “Honey, you need to stop that.” Um, no, you need to leave! If you’re not going to watch your kid, when she has exhibited constant bad behavior for the last half hour, then you need to just get her out of here. But no.
2 minutes later, my friend and I decide to leave. As we’re leaving, we walk to the other side of the playland where the smacker is now pushing other kids down a slide. Where’s mom? No where to be seen. Grrrr…..
You need to be more aggressive like me. I would have let that mother have it. Believe me.
You don’t think my dirty look and attitude was enough chewing her out? No, probably not. Oh well. Maybe she’ll figure it out when no one wants to get together with her and her kids.
This happened with me recently and although I was constantly trying to keep a bigger boy from getting my boys to do things they shouldn’t – and my voice got louder, more cranky etc… the woman with this boy just kept talking to her friend and ignored that her child (? grandchild) was upsetting me with his behavior. We left too.
Now that I think of it – I wish I had talked directly to her instead of making our family leave. Stinks huh?
Tammy: I’m looking through my archives and am not sure how I missed your comment last summer!
It is so frustrating when some kids are playing perfectly well together and yet have to be taken out for their own safety. I’m not sure why some people think they just get to go on break when they bring a kid to a playland or playground.