Another Hard Day at the Office

Today started off really good - it was a Monday, which is often stressful because the week is streched out before me and Friday seems a long way off, but I had plans to go to a friend's house so felt good. A plan to do something is better than wondering 'how am I going to fill the next x hours'.  My friend has 2 sons near the age of mine - her oldest is a half year older than Hammer, and her youngest is 3 months younger than Nicky.  All was good and the boys were playing well together until I didn't realise Hammer was getting tired... and he started hitting my friend's son.  All of a sudden I'm in panic mode.  Do I chastise Hammer?  Do I apologise to her son?  To her?  What did the books say?  One said kids at 2 don't understand saying sorry so don't make them apologise, yet everyone I know does this.  Am I doing the right thing?  Is my new friend judging me?  And as I'm trying to figure out what to do, her son starts crying and my son starts asking for his drink - clearly having moved on. 

This is exactly why I hate going out.  I never know what to do, and I'm always worried I'm doing the wrong thing.  I don't want to scar my kid for life by disciplining him harshly, but I also don't want him to be the kid who hits other kids.  I mean he's a great kid, he was just overtired and didn't want to leave - I mean he's 2!  In the end I told him it's not ok to hit and that we need to be very gentle with our friends (all lessons I teach him at home).  I told the other little boy that Hammer was sorry for hitting him.  I think in the end I handled it ok.  But I still feel bad for not reading my son's tired signs - which would've avoided the whole scenario. 

So I end the day wondering if I should take the kids out more for the practice, or just stay home and not have to go through it all.  Since I'm suffering from PND, I really do need to get out more.  I've recently started taking back the role of parenting and giving consequences for actions and it has been going very well.  But a day like today has knocked my confidence.  I'm just making friends and I get so worried about this kind of thing.  Maybe that's part of the pnd too.  That I care so much about how I'm viewed as a mother.  Probably.