Just less than half an hour ago, my 2 year old son threw a tantrum in front of our local bakery because his favorite schoggibrotli was sold out and he was too hungry to walk home. but I couldnt carry him as i got a pram to push where my baby girl (2 months old) lying in. and the baby started crying obviously she was very hungry as well and the last feed was 2 hours ago. I tried to explain to my son that we ought to go home as soon as possible because his little sister was starving and also promised him to make some nice pan cakes for him once we got home. but he was not listening and refused to be on the buggy board. so I just put him to sit on the ground and give him a time out while i walked to a bench underneath a big tree to breastfeed a bit to my baby. (the bench is probably 10 meters away from the time out point and my son is well in my sight and its a pedestrian area so no cars)
after i just sat down on the bench, i saw an old lady walking towards my son and hold his hand. Then they walked towards me hand in hand. I kind of know what to expect as she looked seriously angry. I thought I just needed to explain he was having a time out and i have to feed the baby etc. There she went: "What kind of mother are you?“ I said: ” I am sorry this upsets you, but he is having a time out and i am watching him.“ She interupted me and went again on top of her voice: “he is so young and you just left him like that!!! what is your name? i am going to report you to the authority. you abused him. in your country you dont know democracy. and you grew up in a cruel place therefore you treated your child badly like that.” i was really speechless and didnt understand what has made her think like that. I told her that she has every right to report me to whatever authority she wants to report but i also have the right to report her to the authority regarding the comments she made about where I am from. Then she continued shouting to me while pointing my son's birthmark and some scratchies :" what are these things on his face and head? what have you done to this poor littley guy? I have video taped all your behaviour and I will report. you people only know torturing others"
I dont know how to describe my feelings at that point. my boy was screaming and so was my baby. I could not raise my voice loud enough to make the lady listen. I just sat there in silence. Then one gentleman and his colleagues came who were sitting in front of the bakery having their lunch earlier on. They told me that i did things right because they saw everything and they would talk to the lady. I couldnt really hear what they were talking about as my ears were ringing and my eyes were going wet. all i know is that the gentleman and his colleagues came back and said to me she was just a stupid old lady. they told me to forget her and wanted to company me back home..I was so grateful that these people came out to prove that i wasnt abusing my child. If nobody saw what really happened, I would probably be intimidated and verbally abused by the lady for longer until she was satisfied.
I think I might see the lady again as she looks like she is from the residential home nearby. Dear EFers, any advise for me when i bump into her again?
thank you so much for helping me, the nice gentlemen and your colleagues if you happen to be on EF as well.

avoid her. Bring food. Be prepared to run.

Avoid her at all costs - she sounds like a fruitcake.

Switzerland doesn't have a monopoly on fruitcakes, unfortunately, so you can get them anywhere; just ignore and be hopeful you don't turn out as mad as a badger when you are her age.

I'm sorry to hear about your awful experience. It does seriously sound like the old lady was a little sick, and therefore the best thing you can do is be sympathetic towards her for her illness and proud of yourself for being a good mum

I am so sorry this happened to you. She had no right at all.

Next time you see her I would just walk by or if you don't feel comfortable doing that turn around, corner, side street, anything.

She must have forgot what it is like to deal with 2 year old tantrums , even if you didn't put him in time out he would have thrown himself to the ground and stay there till he calmed down.

Try to forget about her, you didn't do anything wrong, I am glad those guys came to your rescue!

I can imagine how you must have felt when that lady was yelling at you. As you said she lives in a residence nearby (an old folks home?) maybe she is mentally ill and doesn't know what she's doing any more. Avoid her whenever you see her approaching. You are a good mom and you did everything right.

This situation is truly awful, as she caught you at a moment when you are the weakest, torn between a crying baby and a crying toddler... I have an older child and a baby myself, and I know just how you feel!

You were in your right, but with your hormones in turmoil it's totally normal to get emotional and feel helpless facing so much aggressivity.

This lady obviously doesn't remember what it's like to have children, and has very serious racial issues! Next time you see her ignore her keep your chin high proudly, you're a good mum!

From the OP's description I don't think the old dear remembered what it was like yesterday, never mind what it was like having kids...

I would have said:

Verpiss dich, Du ruf die Polizei zu....Ich werde auf hier warten.


(Screw you. Call the police. I will wait here).

Then ignore her.


Reality is, even for someone from Switzerland, she sounds bat-$#1t crazy...

You basically would tell her: Screw you, call you the police to....I will wait on here.

This is positively outrageous. Imagine pointing to various marks and scratches on the toddler (we know how often and how easily they can get them) and threatening to report, making vile references to the person's "assumed" country of origin. I love CH but I find this aspect of the Swiss populace, the assumed superiority over other countries, especially distasteful.

A mother of two very young children deserves every bit of consideration and help and not a dressing down.

That's how we do it in my old postal code. Then we dare them to call the police and stare at them.

Perhaps not a monopoly, but when it comes to interfering old biddies it sure punches above its weight.
Personally I like to wind them up, it gives them something to talk about with their friends.

It is difficult but just ignore people like this. They spend their days looking to upset someone. Sounds like you have enough stress then to worry about what some fruit&nut thinks.
Happy feeding

How'd she know where you're from? By the comments, I'll assume you are or sound like an American? I have a 4yo who acts like this from time to time as well and I've done the same thing as there's really not much else you can do when they're set for meltdown city. My daughter also has the normal array of bruises and such for that age...I wonder what that woman's deal was. I'd avoid her if you have the unfortunate occasion to see her again. Kudos to the guys who helped you out.

In a different country years ago (with about 2% immigration), I had moved there only a week prior and was out walking my dog when an old lady with a mink coat (and lovely matching hat) walked up with a big smile on her face. She pets my dog and launches into rapid-fire spew about, presumably, how sweet my dog is. After about a minute of this, she catches a breath and I blurt out, in English, that I'm new here and I don't speak her language. Her face immediately contorted into this mask of rage, said something that was later translated into "f-ing foreigners", spat on me and stomped off in a huff. Yes, spat on me. I stood there for a few minutes just completely unable to process what had just happened. I went home and cried and though I managed to settle in over the next few years, that experience never quite disappeared. Fortunately, I never saw her again or, if I did, she didn't try the stunt a second time.

LOL I almost got beat up in Korea by three drunk Koreans once just for walking down the street with my then Japanese ex, who they thought was Korean. I said absolutely nothing, they started screaminga t us in Korean and broken English...

Welcome to the rest of the world, beautiful isn't it?

If you see her again, you should first act is if you had never seen her before. If she approaches you and attempts to speak to you, reply that you speak only (insert language here that is not German or Swiss German). Proceed to speak very quickly and loudly several sentences in your non-German language of choice, point in different directions and gesture about. Finally, act confused, shrug your shoulders, collect your children, and be on your way. If she indeed sees you again and remembers you, hopefully you will have sufficiently confused and rattled her enough that she will avoid you in the future!

Maybe she was asking if she could eat your dog and make the fur into a pair of mittens?

Not generalising here, are we?

Can a mod please do the decent thing and remove the word swiss from the title?

Americans do get their share of bashing, but that's one Republic who's people universally proclaim in depth knowledge of democracy.