Hitting children in general is no longer encouraged though a great many parents still don't mind the use of a hit now and again to deal with an unruly child. Hitting someone else's child is almost the worst thing you can. It seems to offend another parent's sensibilities, especially if they're not into smacking, which is fair enough.
I hit another person's child once. I was 14 and had been babysitting for the local neighbourhood for years. Although I was young I was a good and trustworthy babysitter. I could change nappies, give babies bottles, tuck toddlers into bed, play games and entertain children, tidy up after children, feed children and tidy the kitchen. I didn't bring boyfriends over, ignore the children or spend time on the phone. I did a honorable job making sure the children were safe and happy in my care.
One family I had worked for, for around a year, had a daughter around 10, a boy 8 and a baby, around 12months. Every afternoon after school I would go around to their house and mind the children until the parents came home around 6:30pm - 8:30pm. Either the dad or the mum had collected them from school and waited until I arrived before giving me instructions, then leaving me in charge. Sometimes I minded the children while the parents went out on dates.
The instructions might be things like they needed to be in bed by x time, don't give them any this or that, prepare their dinner, help with homework.
One time the parents told me under no circumstances is their little boy to stay up past 7:30pm and is NOT to watch Star Wars.... no matter what. He'd often been given a bedtime of around that time and would get up quite often trying to trick me into letting him stay up. But I knew his game and was savvy to his ways and became very adept at getting him to stay in bed, using words and firm actions like standing near his door and turning his light back off if I heard him turn it on.
This Star Wars night went from tricky to complicated. 7:30pm rolled around and I tucked all the children in bed yet the little boy started making a fuss, not wanting to stay in bed, continually getting up, pushing me out of his way and basically trying to insist that he do what he wants. He was determined to watch Star Wars. This went on for a while and I stayed firm continually putting him back in bed. All the while his big sister stayed in her room like a well behaved child and the baby slept.
Then he began to sneak out and turn the TV on hoping to watch Star Wars. I kept turning the TV off and taking him back to bed, standing in front of the TV so he couldn't turn it on then taking him back to bed, standing near his door not allowing him to get past. At one point in time he ran past me, like he had numerous times that night, and switched the TV on so I got cunning and pulled out the electric cord.
This little boy stood in front of me and screamed "I hate you, you fucking bitch!" He'd been verbally abusive saying he hates me and he can do what he wants and I can't tell him what to do and I can't stop him... ALL night. Yet this bit of rude language from a little Catholic boy gob-smacked me. Almost instinctively I slapped him across the face and said, "How dare you speak to me that way." I told him he needed to go to bed NOW! and he did. Minutes later his sister came into the lounge room telling me I had done a bad thing by hitting her brother and I shouldn't have done that.
When the mum and dad came home I should have been honest and direct with them and told them what had happened yet when the dad came home and told his son he could stay up and watch Star Wars after all that and I was too riled and upset. I had spent the night battling this little boy, trying to be firm and stick to his parents' instructions and the dad had come home and undermined my efforts. When the dad drove me home I told him it doesn't work for him to tell me I have to get his son in bed by 7:30pm only to come home and tell the boy he can stay up. The dad took that on board.
The following day the mum phoned me and told me she wouldn't be having me back to mind her children any more. I had known that was coming and was in some way relieved because the little boy had been rude and exasperating. The mum never did know that he had sworn at me, only that I had hit her child. I don't know if the sister heard her brother or if she told the mum that part.
That is the one and only time I've smacked someone else's child, though not the only time I've ever wanted to. Am I sorry I did? Not really because how he spoke to me was unacceptable and vulgar. I do regret not telling the parents up front though. They might have been on my side knowing the full story.
Have you ever hit someone else's child? What were the circumstances and what happened when you did?
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