‘I bet he likes you’

Rather than keep her comments to herself, Merritt chose to use the situation to school this guy on the right message kids need to learn when it comes to hitting.

The child had to get stitches to close a gash near her eye.

Merritt Smith had to take her four-year-old daughter to the hospital after she was hit by a boy at school.

A hospital worker told Merritt’s daughter “I bet he likes you” after seeing her injury.

It was a comment that the mother of an injured girl didn’t care to hear.

Smith’s open letter has gone viral on Facebook with over 30,000 shares. That statement is where the idea that hurting is flirting begins to set a tone for what is acceptable behavior.

During the visit, an employee at the hospital’s registration desk made a comment that rubbed Smith the wrong way. Does this mean we should continue to promote the notion that when you have warm and fuzzy feelings for someone, you can show them with a push, shove, or fist?

She wrote: “Dear man at the registration desk at Nationwide Children’s hospital, l’m positive that you didn’t think that statement through”.

“It is time to take responsibility for the messages we as a society give our children”, she continued.

AN OUTRAGED mum has taken to social media to complain about a hospital receptionist who told her four-year-old daughter, “I bet he likes you”, after a boy punched her in the face so hard she needed stitches. While they checked in, a man at the front desk heard about what happened and told Merritt’s daughter: ‘I bet he likes you’. “Power parenting medal to you…for setting the example of how we should treat people”.

A spokesperson with Nationwide Children’s confirmed that an employee did make the statement to the child.

“Although we know the comment was made with no malicious intent, it is our wish to apologize and express to you that this is something we are taking seriously”. This comment does not represent our philosophy as an institution.

Speaking about the response her Facebook post has received Smith said: “I am humbled and grateful that conversations, near and far, are being had”.

In a long Facebook post, explained that while his comments may have been meant well, they set a culture where violence is accepted as a boy trying to show his affections – and should be stopped.