Is it okay to step in and tell another child not to force hugs or hold my child’s hand if my kid clearly doesn’t want it?
Today I met another mom and her son. Her kid is 2 and mine is 17 months old. Her son kept trying to hold my son’s hand, but my son clearly didn’t want to. He was kind of forcing it and squeezing his hand a lot, and my son looked uncomfortable. The mom didn’t really say anything, and I wanted to say something but i hold myself.
Later they were playing and her son tried to hug my son. Again, my son didn’t want to, but the other kid forced the hug and my son lost his balance and fell really hard on the floor. He hit his head and cried for a long time, and it made me really upset.
The mom said sorry, but she wasn’t really watching her son closely. I also noticed earlier that he tried to push or kick other kids.
Now I feel worried about my son because he hit his head pretty badly, and I also feel guilty that I didn’t say anything to stop it.
How do you handle situations like this? If another child is forcing physical contact (like holding hands or hugging) with your child and the other parent doesn’t step in, what would you say or do?
Struggling today
I am really struggling with small things that will set me off.
For the most part, I'm a super composed, super organised person. I discipline my kids effectively and calmly and try not to shout. My kids are well behaved, healthy and my eldest is a great sleeper , my youngest still wakes at least once a night.
However, with my spouse , anything little will set me on edge
E.g Both kids in bed at 7.30 pm last night. He went out with his friends but baby woke up like 4 times before 11pm so I didn't get much prep done for today. He got up with 3yr old at 7am , giving me time to get ready. When I went down with the baby at 7.30pm , he's shoved the breakfast pots in the sink, not even attempted to empty dishwasher, grabs his breakfast and goes to work.
Now, I know he gave me time to get ready, but if it was the other way round& I'd do the dishwasher, the bottles , put the washing on (which literally just needed stsrt pressing) and feed both kids breakfast.
It's not that he doesn't pull his weight, he does .
It's easier to not get mad when he's not there because then I KNOW I have to do it myself.
Also a container of snacks me and my son had homemade fell out of the freezer and cracked all over the floor and that sent me over the edge and i cried in the car
I just feel like dad gets to play all the time and I feel like I have to do all the boring stuff.
I am not slagging off my spouse, I just want to know does anyone else feel luke this .
Is it part of being a mum?
I ferl lije I have no tolerance for anything not going to plan anymore
I am also going back to work (in a different place) next week and I know I am anxious about that