A mom in the United Kingdom sparked a heated online debate after sharing how she responded when her toddler was treated badly at an indoor play center. In a TikTok video, Sheila Doe said she took her 2 year old daughter, Deliliah, to play, only for a group of older kids to start blocking her from getting to the slide. Instead of waiting for the moment to pass, she stepped in with an approach that some viewers called protective and others called petty. The clip quickly spread, turning a split second parenting decision into a bigger argument about what adults should do when kids are unkind.
Doe explained that the problem started when several girls created an improvised hideout and positioned it in a way that kept Deliliah from reaching part of the play area. She said the girls repeatedly told the toddler she was not allowed to pass, even though the route was the only way to the slide. According to Doe, the space was meant mostly for children up to age 4, which made it more surprising to her that the older kids were dominating the area. She described the girls as being about 8 or 9 years old.
The moment that pushed her over the edge, she said, was realizing the behavior was not just rude but deliberately targeted. In her telling, one of the girls even tried to shove Deliliah, then stopped once she noticed the mom was watching. Doe framed her reaction as instinctive, writing on the video, “Your inner teenager has no boundaries when it comes to your child.” For many parents watching, that line captured the surge of protectiveness that can kick in when a child looks small, confused, and left out.
Doe said she did not argue with the kids or try to negotiate in the moment. Instead, she walked straight through the makeshift hideout and knocked it down, which she said made the girls cry. As she told it, “The girls were being really mean to Deliliah, they made a den and would not let her in, so I just walked straight through the den and knocked the whole thing down, and now they are crying about it.” To supporters, it sounded like a quick, proportional disruption that ended the bullying on the spot. To critics, it sounded like an adult choosing destruction over de escalation.
@sheiladoe can I just add that Delilah had to walk through their den to get to the actual slide but they had built their den right the way around it, everytime she went to go over they said she wasn’t allowed and one of the girls tried to push her, luckily she caught me looking at her, these girls were around 8/9 so they knew were they were doing, in an area which is made for children 4 and under with D being 2 at the time, I was gobsmacked! #teenager #meangirls #playarea #fyp #viral ♬ Lucifer's Waltz – Secession Studios
The video gained traction on TikTok under the handle @sheiladoe, drawing strong reactions in the comments. Many moms praised her for not leaving her daughter to fend for herself in a situation where the age gap mattered. One commenter wrote, “That is when I realized I had to be the big sister to my first child, the second is easy because she has a big sister.” Another kept it simple with, “Best mom ever!” and the approval escalated from there.
Some of the most enthusiastic responses focused less on the den itself and more on the message they believed it sent to the child. A viewer summed it up as, “This is 10000% justified,” while another framed it as long term security, saying, “You are raising a child who knows her mom always has her back, keep going.” Another commenter added, “Girl, we support you, I would do the same.” The common theme was that kids remember who stands up for them, even if they are too young to explain it in words.
Still, plenty of people felt the moment called for a calmer, more structured solution. Critics argued that an adult should not “get revenge” on children, even if those children are behaving badly. Some suggested she should have talked to the kids’ parents or alerted staff instead of taking matters into her own hands. One comment captured that view with, “Maybe you should have spoken to their parents,” while another warned, “I would not handle it like this, they are someone else’s children too.” Another person tried to strike a middle ground, writing, “I understand you were angry, but it is not normal to take revenge on kids.”
The argument also touched a nerve because many parents have lived some version of this scenario, whether it happens at a playground, a birthday party, or a school hallway. When a younger child is blocked out, mocked, or physically pushed, adults have to make a fast call about safety and fairness. Some prioritize immediate intervention that stops the behavior, while others prioritize modeling calm conflict resolution and involving the proper adults. Doe’s video landed right in that tension, where the desire to protect meets the responsibility to stay measured.
More broadly, childhood bullying is often defined as repeated aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance, which can include age, size, popularity, or social control. Even in early childhood, exclusion and intimidation can shape how kids see themselves and whether they feel safe in shared spaces. Parenting experts often emphasize teaching children to name what happened, ask for help, and practice simple boundary phrases, while also encouraging caregivers to supervise closely in busy play environments. Staff oversight matters too, because indoor play centers can become chaotic quickly when older kids drift into areas meant for toddlers.
There is also a basic lesson about what children learn from adults in public spaces. Kids pay attention to which behaviors get corrected, how quickly, and in what tone, and they also absorb how adults handle frustration. Some parents believe a strong, immediate response communicates protection and discourages repeat offenders, especially when staff are not stepping in. Others believe the better long game is showing restraint, addressing the behavior directly, and pushing accountability to the appropriate adults, so the correction does not become another form of aggression.
What do you think was the right move in that moment, and how would you handle older kids blocking your child in a shared play space, share your thoughts in the comments.
