My 2.5 y/o saw her grandma (my mother in law) going to fill up water cups for the family out at lunch today and sweetly/excitedly rushed over to help, reaching up to get cups to fill up.

I’m by no means a perfect mom but we NEVER hit her and the one time I really yelled at her I sobbed in my car after wanting to die, and have never yelled at her since. But I do set firm boundaries where needed. She’s well-behaved and I gently remind her to stay seated at the table, etc. She’s truly a sweet great kid. But she’s also 2!!! And she loves “helping” especially about the water. I was right behind her about to make sure nothing spilled, etc.

And as my daughter reached up for the cups my MIL SLAPPED the top of her hand!!! TWICE!!! I was absolutely shocked. It would be horrible regardless. But it was especially shocking because she wasn’t even doing anything “wrong”— she was trying to be helpful!!

If my mom ever did that (she wouldn’t) I would put her back on a plane immediately and she would not be around my daughter again.

My husband agrees with me that it’s wrong, but doesn’t think it’s as big a deal and doesn’t think it really counts as physical abuse and is just like “I’ll talk to her about it”

Part of me is doubting myself and the other part wants to scoop up my daughter and take her to a hotel and refuse to come home until MIL is gone.