Correcting a parent reguarding their own child

[Jon L. Obscene]

I know this is a funny kinda subject, but earlier on my way thru town I turned a corner into another street, lots of people about but out from this guy ran a little girl (approx 4y/o) I mean litterally a foot from her when I stopped (talk about heart stopper), trouble is as I breaked and stopped I was on a lean for the corner so nearly came off anyway
Anyway, I said sorry to the little girl and her parents and asked if she was ok, she nodded, all cool no one hurt....as I started to pull away I heard the father growel (best way to describe it) really loudly and angruly at the little girl.
Now ok I know he was in shock to some degree but the little girl then started crying, she WAS ok ffs, so I stopped and shouted "ease up man there's no need, no one hurt, you ain't gotta upset her more" to which he replied "Don't fucking tell me how to raise my kids" wtf is that all about? I rode off at that point cos I'm not gonna add to the situation more, what a wanker tho.

Thing is, is what I done wrong? did I butt in?, spose I should have kept quiet really.
It's always puzzled me that people see someone kick or hit a dog and they step in and say something, people see someone whack a kid and everyone turns a blind eye (these both obviously do have exceptions)

I just think thats shit thats all and thought I'd share.

Jonno

[JPaul]

I know this is a funny kinda subject, but earlier on my way thru town I turned a corner into another street, lots of people about but out from this guy ran a little girl (approx 4y/o) I mean litterally a foot from her when I stopped (talk about heart stopper), trouble is as I breaked and stopped I was on a lean for the corner so nearly came off anyway
Anyway, I said sorry to the little girl and her parents and asked if she was ok, she nodded, all cool no one hurt....as I started to pull away I heard the father growel (best way to describe it) really loudly and angruly at the little girl.
Now ok I know he was in shock to some degree but the little girl then started crying, she WAS ok ffs, so I stopped and shouted "ease up man there's no need, no one hurt, you ain't gotta upset her more" to which he replied "Don't fucking tell me how to raise my kids" wtf is that all about? I rode off at that point cos I'm not gonna add to the situation more, what a wanker tho.

Thing is, is what I done wrong? did I butt in?, spose I should have kept quiet really.
It's always puzzled me that people see someone kick or hit a dog and they step in and say something, people see someone whack a kid and everyone turns a blind eye (these both obviously do have exceptions)

I just think thats shit thats all and thought I'd share.

Jonno

It's a tough one. The guy's a dickhead and needs a kick in the bollocks. However the last thing you want is for him to take it out on the wee one later, which is what pricks like that do.

You can hope that what happened was that he reacted thro' the adrenaline and isn't normally like that.

To my mind you did exactly the right thing.

[NikkiD]

I know this is a funny kinda subject, but earlier on my way thru town I turned a corner into another street, lots of people about but out from this guy ran a little girl (approx 4y/o) I mean litterally a foot from her when I stopped (talk about heart stopper), trouble is as I breaked and stopped I was on a lean for the corner so nearly came off anyway
Anyway, I said sorry to the little girl and her parents and asked if she was ok, she nodded, all cool no one hurt....as I started to pull away I heard the father growel (best way to describe it) really loudly and angruly at the little girl.
Now ok I know he was in shock to some degree but the little girl then started crying, she WAS ok ffs, so I stopped and shouted "ease up man there's no need, no one hurt, you ain't gotta upset her more" to which he replied "Don't fucking tell me how to raise my kids" wtf is that all about? I rode off at that point cos I'm not gonna add to the situation more, what a wanker tho.

Thing is, is what I done wrong? did I butt in?, spose I should have kept quiet really.
It's always puzzled me that people see someone kick or hit a dog and they step in and say something, people see someone whack a kid and everyone turns a blind eye (these both obviously do have exceptions)

I just think thats shit thats all and thought I'd share.

Jonno

Well, as a parent, I'd probably yell at my child for having run out into traffic as well. You have to express the seriousness of what happened to them, and how dangerous it is, and if that means scaring them by yelling at them a little to get their full attention, then so be it. It's better than having it happen again. Mind you I'd probably follow it with a hug and crying my eyes out.

Add to that the fear and upset he's probably feeling as well having almost lost his daughter, and it's understandable how he would release like that.

[Gripper]

You did right Jonno,but if that Dad's anything like me,he had probably been telling his kid not to run off to far,don't go to near the road and such since he left home and to (in his eyes),nearly see he'ds daughterrun down,was a shock to the system and he was just reacting,not thinking,not many drivers would have been as nice as you were,so you were right,he was wrong and probably felt like an asshole after he calmed down.

[Jon L. Obscene]

Yeah the tought of him getting more snotty with the girl and also the risk of a possible confrontation in front of kids is what made me turn away.

I could have understood if the girl had actually done something, still dissagree with shouting like that but it would have had a reason. When in actual fact her running out in fornt of me was more his fault, if you have a little kid like that and you walking on a path round a corner (path about 3ft wide on that corner) connecting 2 main highstreet roads you would hold onto your kid no? I would, she would have been on the inside of me and holding my hand had she been mine in that situation.

Jonno

Edit: To answer all.... like I said, why was he not holding her hand, she was 2.5 ft high for christ sake, only came upto the bottom of my headlight, how was she allowed to run off into the road? I do understand he was scared but I'm sorry, Nik you may have screamed at Nate but this guy would have scared me, it was a deep angry violent growel which was out of order, if someone is in shock you don't then scare them more, especially if it's a kid and anyway like I keep saying he should have been holding her hand.

[tesco]

It's really not that bad, it will scare the girl away from wandering into traffic which is a good thing...


Anyway, it reminds me of my old neighbour across the street.
He used to yell at his kids telling them to get off the road even when the car is like all the way at bottom of street (not that long, but coming around a corner you aren't going to be going fast ).
Then one time he was yelling at his kids for being on the road, ont ebcause they almost got hit or anything like that, but because the car did a quick turn around the corner .
The guy still slowed down, and it was obviously not the kids' fault, so why yell at them?
He's scaring them away from having a life.

BTW one of the kids was 12, the other around 8 or 9.

[Jon L. Obscene]

Afterthought.....if his reaction was to shout because of fear, how you think I felt, if something had happend I think I would have been quite effected and it scared me too, add to that I had to try and stay upright on my bike, I did'nt shout at him or the kid, I was more concerned everyone was ok and the situation was over. Why should he react like that but I go the complete oposite? until he shouted at her. also notice that nowhere have I said anyone apologised to me but I apologised to him.
I just thought growling at her like that was shitty and a nasty thing to do. the mother did'nt say a word.

Jonno

[Gripper]

Your just a big softy,marshmallow man

[keyser_soze]

I personally unless extremely angry dont tend to do a lot of shouting at my kids the wife hands out the discipline, ironically they take a lot more notice of her and are closer so I guess a good grilling is effective in some circumstances, where as they would probably do something dangerous in my care to wind me up, your man probably was pumped and you just caught him at a bad time, taking a kid down a busy street is a nightmare for seeing danger coming and kids playing u up a test for the nerves, anyway I'm glad theres a happy ending to this and every1 learned summat from it

[NikkiD]

Afterthought.....if his reaction was to shout because of fear, how you think I felt, if something had happend I think I would have been quite effected and it scared me too, add to that I had to try and stay upright on my bike, I did'nt shout at him or the kid, I was more concerned everyone was ok and the situation was over. Why should he react like that but I go the complete oposite? until he shouted at her. also notice that nowhere have I said anyone apologised to me but I apologised to him.
I just thought growling at her like that was shitty and a nasty thing to do. the mother did'nt say a word.

Jonno

Being honest, if I was the parent you'd yelled at in this situation, I'd probably have told you off too.

BTW, kids are weasely little things, hand held or not, they do get away from you at times. Try walking through a mall past a toy store and keeping a grip on a 4 year old's hand sometime. It's not an easy thing to do.

EDIT: Oh, and the girl DID do something - she ran out into traffic.