“She hit me,” Norah sobbed, running to me.

“She hit me first,” Madison shot back. “She slapped me when I took her stupid toy.”

I knelt down to examine Norah’s face. There was a red handprint on her small cheek, clearly from Madison’s much larger hand. “Madison, you do not hit smaller children,” I said firmly. “Norah is four years old. You’re 13. You should know better.”

“Oh, please,” Kendra said, walking into the room. “Kids hit each other all the time. It’s how they learn boundaries.”

“A 13-year-old hitting a four-year-old is not normal, Kendra,” I replied, my voice getting sharper.

The argument escalated quickly. My parents joined in, naturally taking Kendra’s side. They said I was being overprotective, that Norah needed to toughen up. Madison stood there with this smirk on her face, clearly enjoying watching the adults fight over her actions.

I decided to take Norah upstairs to the bathroom to clean her face and calm her down. “Mama, why did Madison hit me?” she asked, her voice so small and confused.