When another kid is just plain mean to your toddler

Today I had an encounter with a child, probably around 5 years old, that honestly left me fuming. I still can’t shake it.

I was at a playroom with my 2-year-old, and she spotted a smaller scooter that clearly fit her size better. A slightly older girl was using it, so my daughter politely asked if they could switch. The other kid immediately ran off to her parents and loudly said, “That girl wants the scooter, but I’m going to use it all day, hahaha, never giving it up.” 🙄

Whatever. Not all kids are great at sharing — I get that. But what followed was just mean-spirited. This girl kept circling around and pretending to leave the scooter. Each time, my daughter would light up and run over, only for this kid to snatch it back at the last second while laughing and zooming off again. Not once or twice — over 20 times. I counted.

Meanwhile, my kid was getting more and more crushed each time, and the whole thing started feeling like pure teasing. I tried to stay calm, but after the umpteenth time, I stepped in. I calmly blocked the girl so my daughter could finally get a turn and told her, firmly, “It’s someone else’s turn now.”

Her parents? Totally checked out. Didn’t say a word. Didn’t step in. Nothing.

I get that kids can be impulsive. I get that they don’t always know better. But at what point does it stop being “just being a kid” and start becoming... something else? Because watching another child actively enjoy upsetting mine was not okay. And the fact that no adult beside me thought it was worth intervening? Honestly says a lot.

Has anyone else dealt with this kind of thing? What do you do when a kid is clearly targeting your child, and the parents are nowhere to be found — emotionally or otherwise?