How to deal with bullying at a playground? ok to discipline other kids?

over the last 5 or 6 weeks iv started taking my son to a big indoor playground once or twice a week now that we are coming into winter. twice now he has been bullied, for no reason. my son is 22 months and pretty much sticks to the dedicated toddler area. the first time was in the ball pit where an older boy (maybe 3 or 4) started throwing balls at my sons face from close range, my fiance was there and asked the boy to stop it as my son was getting very upset, the boy didnt stop so we told him to leave the ball pit (we had seen him throw balls at a little girl about 5 minutes before he did it to my son) aqnd he didnt, his mum came over and then gave him a proper telling off and he stopped, but by that time my son was in tears.



Today when we went was pretty bad. in the first 5 minutes we were there he was hurt. there is a little play house with a kitchen type thing with plastic pots and pans and fruit etc which he loves to play in and there was a boy about 5-7 years in the toddler area (meant to be 1-4 only), his mum was in there also with 2 younger children which is why im guessing the older boy was in there. Anyway, my son went into the play house and went to pick up a plastic apple and this boy put his arm around my sons neck, pulled his hair and scratched his neck he actually was bleeding from the scratches. I dont knwo how long it went on for as i was playing with our younger daughter, but when i walked over he had him in a headlock and was pulling his hair and my son was balling. I told the older boy to let him go and he just poked his tounge out at me and smiled, his mum was there and could see what was going on and didnt stop it. So i went in there and pulled the boy away from my son (he had blood down his neck and was beside himself) and the mother gave me a dirty look and i just said to her ';control your fcuking son'; probably could have done without the language but i was furious!



How are you supposed to handle these situations? The only staff they have are a couple of teenage waitresses who work in the cafe part so there is no supervision except parents.How to deal with bullying at a playground? ok to discipline other kids?
My GOD, I would have been furious! You handled it well, and I applaud your patience. I probably would have gone cursing a monologue at the mother or something.



If there was an adult in the area, I would have told you to report it immediately. Perhaps you still can...show the scars to some higher authority. I doubt that will really do anything...but at least you can rest assured that you took some action.



Again, i think you handled it very well. I truly think it's great you remained patient. You could have yelled at the boy more loudly or something, so it would catch more people's attention...you know, more witnesses.How to deal with bullying at a playground? ok to discipline other kids?
Slap that boy into tomaro xD no just jokes dont but you should keep a better watch on your son or maybe try and pull him away from you son I wouldnt have disiplined her son if she wasnt going to
I would have reacted the same way as you. Jesus christ, why do parents let their kids get away with things like that?!

I think you just need to continue taking control if the mother doesn't, it's the only way you can ensure your child is safe.
Sounds like you handled it excellently, to be honest. I wonder if there is another, better supervised play area near you where you could go. If you make a complaint to the staff there (and they MUST surely have an accident book to record injuries for legal reasons) then maybe they will think about soing something.
Bullying has become a major issue and I hope they will pass a law about it......there's been kids killing themselves because of bulling......I think you should find another playground to go to.........take your child out of this situation.......
well i have not gone threw that situation but my cousin has, her daughter was playing on the slide and a kid bigger than her pushed her off of the side of it and my cousin took her daughter somewhere else after telling the kid that wasn't nice. She then played on the swings and the same kid was coming toward her and pushed her, then my cousin found the mother and told her that if she did not control her son she will.



but i would just calmly tell the mother that she needs to teach her kid some manners and be nice to others before bringing him/her back.
I probably would have took my kid over to that woman, shown her the blood, slapped her in the face and told her to keep her legs closed if she doesn't know how to control her children.



So I think how you reacted was very mild ;-)
I would have been a lot more severe, I think you handled it well.
take ur kids to Karate Lessons or any sort or of self-defence art class. It works for everyone