Normal?!

So I thought I'd treat Auden to lunch out after story time and before preschool. Not a lot of time in between but I forgot to pack a lunch. So we head to Mickey D's. They have a play place too. So we order the happy meal with dippers and milk and a yogurt parfait and sit to begin lunch that gets many play breaks. Auden takes two bites and runs off, comes back, takes two more bites, and runs off again. Indigestion waiting to happen in my world but not his until he hits thirty or so.

I look up to see what he's up to only to find another kid pushing a hitting him. Auden doesn't want to take the abuse but knows how I am about him returning "eye for an eye" maneuvers. I politely tell the mother of the little girl - yep a girl - that her daughter is abusing my son. She heads straight for her kiddo to put a stop to it. Yea!

But wait not five minutes later she's doing it again pushing Auden down and getting her littler brother in on the action too. So now I'm up in the play place telling them to keep their hands to themselves. Auden comes down for two bites and all is well until a slew of new arrivals run in screaming at the top of their lungs.

Why is screaming okay? I get it if you're outside but we're not in this situation. This was the original question or thought for me, but then some of the new arrivals started pushing Auden around and throwing him into the poles. The other moms just watched! Is that because it wasn't their kid getting pushed around or is this normal?! I'm a bit outraged and because I don't which monster belongs to which oblivious woman, I step in - literally - between two kids and Auden. I explain that there is no need to touch anybody and asked if he'd like it if Auden was doing the pushing to him. The kid stood there and blew spit bubbles at me! Why are these behaviors okay? I tell you, I think it just makes it harder to parent. I'm so disappointed in the mothers that were there today and hope I set a better example without a "holier than thou" attitude.

Just needed to vent and knew this was the place.