A Dannevirke beneficiary demanded her nine-year-old daughter's paper round money before assaulting her, Dannevirke District Court was told yesterday.
The 34-year-old solo mother who punched the child in the back of the head and booted her on the ground did it because she was "stressed".
The incident happened on December 1 and yesterday the woman pleaded guilty to a charge of assault on a child, the Manawatu Standard reported.
The court was told the woman stormed into the girl's room and demanded the cash she had made from her paper run.
When she refused an argument ensued and as the girl left the room the woman followed her and assaulted her.
Eventually the girl fled to a neighbouring address where police were called.
When spoken to by police, the woman admitted what had happened and said: "I have been really stressed about a lot of things, and I just lost it."
The girl was removed from the home by Child, Youth and Family, and is staying with an aunt.
Judge Jennifer Binns convicted the woman of assault and remanded her on bail for sentence February 26.
