It would never occur to most people to touch a stranger on the street. But boundary issues seem to disappear when it comes to pregnant women and babies. People you may have never met do not think twice about touching a pregnant woman’s belly or a newborns hands and face.
This point was driven home when our friend Michelle was hoping to enjoy some quality time at the park with her older daughter while her newborn slept peacefully in the stroller. As she was pushing her older daughter on the swing, she noticed another toddler repeatedly go up to the stroller, lift the blanket and touch the baby’s face. Initially Michelle tried to be very kind, patiently explaining that the baby needed to stay warm and sleep and it was cold for her when someone lifted the blanket. Despite her repeated efforts, the little girl woke the baby and continued to try lifting the blanket as Michelle tried to rock her newborn back to sleep.
Finally succumbing to frustration, Michelle decided to seek assistance from the little girl’s mother. She patiently asked the little girl where her mommy or daddy was sitting and politely wheeled her stroller over to the other mother who was deeply absorbed in her book. After explaining the situation to the other woman and asking for her help redirecting her daughter, the other woman got up and punched Michelle firmly in the arm. “At that point, I lost it. I don’t know who was crying harder – me or my newborn. To make matters worse, my older daughter who witnessed the entire thing kept asking why that other woman hit me.”
Michelle tried to turn the experience into a teachable moment, explaining to her daughter that even when you have good intentions, sometimes people don’t act the way we wished they would. She still wishes she could have thought of a better response in the heat of the moment.
Has anything like this happened to you? What would you have done?
3 Comments
Call the cops. If the woman is assaulting you for politely asking her to control her child, it’s a safe assumption that she’s probably assaulting others as well. Not only will you be protecting yourself but others as well.
I would have called the cops. No question about it. No one has the right to put their hands on you. Assault is assault, and it IS illegal.
ha ha call the police for battery I wouldn’t really do it but I would want to and then say,”Hitting is illegal kids don’t you forget it”