It happened again yesterday morning at the pool. I was witness to another child’s intimidation by the parent to jump into the pool and begin swimming. A couple of days ago I had seen two kids being slapped by their mothers for a similar ‘crime’. This time it was a dad who was the culprit and the victim was his eight or nine year old daughter.
I was horrified by that father who towered above his seven or eight year old daughter pleading with eyes filled with terror not to make her jump into the pool. She was cowering before him as he held out his silent threats to jump into the pool. Gripping her by the back of her neck, he dragged her, her feet resisting, digging into the slippery tiles of the pool, to the water. He stood close to the edge of the pool with menace in his eyes as the frightened girl looked at the water and at her dad with piteous eyes. I was filled with helplessnes and a rising sense of rage at this stupid father.
What was the pressing need that made a parent hit their own kid, humiliate them publicly thus? Just because other kids are not frightened of the water and jumping into it freely? I didn’t understand why the father was so set upon making his kid jump into the pool without a tube on the very first day. It was the first time I was seeing that particular kid at the pool so I assumed it was her first day at the pool. I felt sorry that the girl was having such a hard time with her dad.
It was something I had never seen before. This dad was different. He had a menacing look on his face. I felt ashamed watching the poor kid who was whimpering and rubbing away the tears that flowed down her face. There could be no crueller treatment than this. I wonder what it would do to the poor kid’s self esteem as well as her trust of her dad.
If the father could be so cruel in public for something as silly as refusal to swim, I shuddered to imagine how much more cruel he could be within four walls of their home over other matters. It was a terrible scene I had witnessed and the sight of the girl’s face haunts me even as I write this. I can perhaps understand being a little stern with your kids to make them do something that is ultimately beneficial to them but trashing your own kid to make them play? It makes me wonder if it is play or punishment.
I was horrified by that father who towered above his seven or eight year old daughter pleading with eyes filled with terror not to make her jump into the pool. She was cowering before him as he held out his silent threats to jump into the pool. Gripping her by the back of her neck, he dragged her, her feet resisting, digging into the slippery tiles of the pool, to the water. He stood close to the edge of the pool with menace in his eyes as the frightened girl looked at the water and at her dad with piteous eyes. I was filled with helplessnes and a rising sense of rage at this stupid father.
What was the pressing need that made a parent hit their own kid, humiliate them publicly thus? Just because other kids are not frightened of the water and jumping into it freely? I didn’t understand why the father was so set upon making his kid jump into the pool without a tube on the very first day. It was the first time I was seeing that particular kid at the pool so I assumed it was her first day at the pool. I felt sorry that the girl was having such a hard time with her dad.
It was something I had never seen before. This dad was different. He had a menacing look on his face. I felt ashamed watching the poor kid who was whimpering and rubbing away the tears that flowed down her face. There could be no crueller treatment than this. I wonder what it would do to the poor kid’s self esteem as well as her trust of her dad.
If the father could be so cruel in public for something as silly as refusal to swim, I shuddered to imagine how much more cruel he could be within four walls of their home over other matters. It was a terrible scene I had witnessed and the sight of the girl’s face haunts me even as I write this. I can perhaps understand being a little stern with your kids to make them do something that is ultimately beneficial to them but trashing your own kid to make them play? It makes me wonder if it is play or punishment.
It isn’t the kids who need help but their parents who need it more than the kids. The sad thing is that the parents don’t realize it. The girl did jump in but the dad had the same expression and he didn't even realize the a bit of appreciation would help his kid. Poor kid. Poor dad. Poor me.
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