Young children have lots of lessons to learn, including how to socialise with their peers. So it makes sense that many parents enjoy taking their kids to play groups, where toddlers can learn new skills together. But there can also be mishaps, as little ones learn right from wrong.
While most parents accept this, they also set boundaries as to what is acceptable. Well, one mum was left furious after she disagreed with fellow parents over where to draw the line - when a mum and her daughter were kicked out of a toddler group over a mistake made by the child. And she blasted the "ridiculous" behaviour policy, which saw the youngster excluded for hitting other children.
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Sharing her viewpoint in a post on Mumsnet, the woman explained there had been an incident at a toddler group her family attends, involving a girl who she believes is "just under two".
The mum said: "She had been playing and another child took the toy she had been playing with and she tapped him on the arm. Another child then came and tried to take it and she hit him too. I have never seen this child hit before and she is quite a popular member of the group.
"The mum of this girl got up told her daughter off and made her cuddle both other children she then apoligised to the other mums and took her child away to a quite part of the room.
"When she came back to join us the leader of the group came over to her and in front of about 4 other mums told her that there was a "behaviour policy" in the group that if a child hit more than twice they would be asked to leave...."
The bystander added: "The mum seemed quite embarrased and I was quite embarrased for her. She had done everything she could after the incident and the leader acknowledged that these things do happen but that it was to 'stop bad feeling between parents'.
"She then went on to add that this was only the second time that she had had to tell a mother this and that the first one had started crying, left the group and never came back! This mum then quietly left 10mins later."
She then blasted the "ridiculous" policy, but asked if fellow parents thought she was the one "being unreasonable".
"I would love to know what you would have done had this been you as the mum seemed quite embarrased and then left," she concluded.
But fellow mums were quick to take her side, shocked by the policy and its enforcement given the cirumstances.
One person wrote: "I feel quite bad for that mom. its hard ENOUGH being a mom of a toddler. and now she probably feels bad."
And another said: "I cannot believe this!!! It is absolutely awful. All toddlers hit, lash out, bite, kick and are generally not very nice people sometimes! I have no idea if this is common policy at toddler groups, but it isn't at the one I go to and if it were, I wouldn't go any more.
"It sounds like the mum did exactly the right thing in the circumstances and everybody could see that."
Do you agree? Let us know in the comments below.
