The Slap

Controversy, controversy.....and another tale to tell.  Yesterday, I saw this link on my Facebook newsfeed, so I popped on over to see what it was all about.  Well, if you read that piece, you will find a whole different kind of controversy to what I'm going to talk about.....and one (how old is too old to breastfeed?) I'm not going to get involved in right now.  What this also lead me to, was reading up about the television show this piece was brought up by - "The Slap", which was aired on ABC television Thursday night.  I am actually spewing I didn't know it was on, because I think I would like to see it!

For what it's worth, I'm going to share my two bobs worth when it comes to physically disciplining someone else's child....

Many years ago, when my now on-the-cusp-of-being-a-teenager son was a delightful little four and a bit year old, I was at one of those lovely indoor play centres with a friend and her son, as well as our relatively newborn babies.  Kids were having a great time, climbing as high up as possible, we were having a great time, drinking hot chocolates and chatting.  Right about then, our boys came flying towards up, Lochie screaming at the top of his lungs and his mate talking a million miles an hour.  What we got from the gibberish was that some Mother excuse-for-a-woman had taken it upon herself to smack Lochie!

Now, what happened in the following five minutes could be described as a little crazy, but I was incensed that a total stranger, who calls herself a Mother, could lay a hand on another child.  The thing that made it look even crazier was this woman would not come down from the play equipment!  She was wayyyyyy up high in the equipment, so I HAD to go bat-shit crazy at her from down below!  Gained a little attention as well as horror from the other parents in the centre whilst I was at it....

After realising my fury was not going to make this woman come down, I retreated to my table and was consoled by my gf along with random strangers who were also incensed by what had unfolded.  I could see the object of my fury making her way down to the floor, so readied myself for a confrontation that I really did not think I would ever have to have.  I made my way over to her - new born in one arm so as not to belt her one myself - and ever so calmly asked her what on earth had possessed her to smack my child?  Her response you ask?  "Well, he hit me first"  I KID YOU NOT!  It was about this stage I got in her face and retorted that she was the adult, he was the child, and that NO MATTER WHAT - you should NEVER touch another person's child!  If she had a problem with my child, she should have come and seen ME about it, in an adult fashion - not responded like another four year old and smacked him back.

In the end, I achieved nothing, as she defended her actions and could not see what she did as wrong.  I told her what I thought, in probably less than delightful terms, and she went on her way - leaving the centre with her poor children behind her.

I can honestly say that this incident was one I would prefer never to have happened, but one that I have mentioned in conversations with fellow Mothers when discipline, as a topic, has been raised.

As I said earlier.....I didn't see the first episode of "The Slap", but I'm going to have a search to see if I can view it online, and then give my opinion on that little scenario.

Has anyone else had a similar experience, or am I the only one with nut-cases in play centres?