A few weeks ago, Mommy asked an important question for the Monday Consult. I want to get an expert's answer to this, but first I am curious what readers of this blog would do in a similar situation. Here's Mommy's question:
I saw some old friends from college recently and our kids played together for the day downtown. One of my friend's sons (he's 6) was misbehaving, so the dad took him aside as I shepherded the other kids along (at the aquarium). Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my friend push his son into the wall! It was dark in the aquarium and I wasn't completely sure it was as egregious as I think it was. But, what really tipped me off, was that the dad rejoined us and said his son 'banged his head.' To me, this sounds like a classic abuser - 'tell them you fell down' story. The mom was not there and I am unsure what to do. When the dad made an excuse about why his son was crying, it really made me cringe. I guess this whole question is really about when to intervene on a child's behalf. Thanks.
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