Short fuse

By Anonymous - 03/01/2026 00:00

Today, two days after losing my temper with my smart mouthed 7 year-old son and slapping him across the face, I tried to apologize by buying him a treat and telling him if anyone found out, I would get in trouble. Today, I got a call from social services about the "bruise" on his face. FML
agreeclassic 75
vote type 1 932

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You apologize by truly being sorry for what you did, explaining that what you did was wrong, and why, and how you're going to put in the work to make sure you never do it again. You don't "apologize" by buying him something to keep yourself out of trouble. You currently have so few tools in your emotional regulation toolbox that you took your uncontrolled anger out on your son by hitting him in the face. That's very small of you, and you owe it to him and yourself to do much, much better from now on, whatever it takes. Parenting classes, anger management, emotional intelligence training, or all of the above.

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You hitting him was bad enough, but leaving a mark, you deserve everything bad that happens now

You apologize by truly being sorry for what you did, explaining that what you did was wrong, and why, and how you're going to put in the work to make sure you never do it again. You don't "apologize" by buying him something to keep yourself out of trouble. You currently have so few tools in your emotional regulation toolbox that you took your uncontrolled anger out on your son by hitting him in the face. That's very small of you, and you owe it to him and yourself to do much, much better from now on, whatever it takes. Parenting classes, anger management, emotional intelligence training, or all of the above.

You absolute POS. You deserve prison. If you ever see him again, it must be supervised visitations until he is 18. Then, if you're extremely lucky, he won't hate you and file for a restraining order.

Look, I'm all for disciplining kids when they need it, but what you did is abuse. And the fact that you did it hard enough to leave a bruise? Yeah, you deserve whatever punishment you get. And the fact that you tried to basically buy him off to save your own ass? You don't deserve to have custody.

GoogieWithers 23

You hit a 7 year old hard enough to leave a bruise. You deserve everything you get.