Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Discipline of DCs in public

63 replies

sevenstarsinthesky · 04/02/2011 22:45

I saw a woman "carrying" her screaming toddler crying and sobbing across a supermarket car park dangling by the hand. She piled her into a white van with bloke and other kids waiting and sped off.

Don't get me wrong, I'm the last to get all judgey pants on the world. I've been known to rugby-ball carry my 2yoDD back home from the shops before so I have no place. Pot kettle black nallthat. I just couldn't help feeling 'whatiftheressomethinguntowardgoingon', 'shouldistepin', etc.

Poor little mite was so unhappy and her mum just seemed to be so irate. Broke my heart to think of any child being that miserable, let alone at the hands of a parent. But I know, down to experience, that they're not angels all the time.

OP posts:

bubblewrapped · 05/02/2011 00:08

The headmistress was probably very envious that she couldnt do that with the pupils

crazygracieuk · 05/02/2011 00:10

Children who are never disciplined in public are far worse than parents who have to resort to carrying screaming child.

AgentZigzag · 05/02/2011 00:15

Bit judgemental there on parents removing their prodigy from the shopping arena crazygracie.

I didn't 'discipline' DD1 in public because I hate the show of it.

Growling in her ear that I'll have words with her at home if she continued worked for me, and if it's a DC who's too young to understand consequences, then you can't reason with them and removing them is the best course of action.

TheSecondComing · 05/02/2011 00:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mamatomany · 05/02/2011 00:22

disagree Gracie, mine knew if they wanted to really perform public was absolutely the best place to get results as I would completely ignore and not give in at home but in public they would generally win if I'm honest because I couldn't stand the tuting and generally unsuportive stares from grand mothers who ought to know better.

maryz · 05/02/2011 00:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bubblewrapped · 05/02/2011 00:30

I have a lasting memory of one of the very few times my mum ever smacked me.

I was going on, and on, and on, louder and louder about wanting some mittens.

It was the middle of summer, I did not have frostbite, and I no doubt had countless pairs of mittens in a drawer at home.

I was about 3 at the time.

I remember being told at least 3 times to stop asking or I would get a smack.

I upped the volume and stamped my feet a bit...

I was swiftly silenced by the slap that I had been promised

Lets just say, I didnt ask for mittens again that day... nor do I remember it ever happening again.

I was warned, I was old enough to understand the consequences... I did not end up with a life long deep seated issue with my mother about it...

I do however have a severe dislike for mittens though

AgentZigzag · 05/02/2011 00:33

Totally agree there are exceptinos mary.

Like the time about 3 YO DD1 had a huge on the floor kicking and screaming tantrum at the library

I must have got her out somehow musn't I??

And I doubt she walked out willingly.

Seven years on and there are still missing bits in my memory because of the trauma of it

LisaD1 · 05/02/2011 00:45

Oh dear, last weekend DD 2 (aged 3 and VERY feisty) threw the mother of all tantrums as we were about to order lunch - /i frog marched her to the car (not dangling but had a firm hold of her mid arm) all the while she was screaming "sorry Mummy, I will behave" and people were staring. We came straight home and di not have lunch out/a bike ride as promised.

She was an angel the following day. I refuse to let my DC behave like that when we are out and I don't give a shit what people think of me if they see me dragging her off. The same people most likely have not seen us laughing and playing the rest of the time and are only seeing a snapshot of the day.

maryz · 05/02/2011 00:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

StuffingGoldBrass · 05/02/2011 01:20

A former work colleague of mine once had to pick up his tantrumming DD (who was objecting to the fact that he wouldn't buy her an expensive toy that she fancied) and carry her out of a shop. The DD was about 4 and smart enough to have thought up the idea of yelling 'I hate you, you're horrid, I want my mummy!' at the top of her voice, and a passing woman intervened. My colleague explained that he was her dad, and that she was having a tantrum, but the woman only relented when he got out his wallet and showed the family picture he kept in it (ie him, his DD, her mother and her siblings).
He did say, though, that once he'd got over the embarassment he was actually quite glad, because if the person carrying his yelling DD away had not been him but someone with bad intentions, he would have wanted someone to intervene.

Morloth · 05/02/2011 01:24

Yeah, I wouldn't mind in those circumstances if somebody checked.

All of the tantrums I have witnessed personally though have been of the raging kind so I haven't really thought too much about it.

ChippingInSmellyCheeseFreak · 05/02/2011 01:50

sevenstars I don't think you were wearing your judgey pants - I think you were wearing your OhFuckIsThisOKShouldIStepInOrIsThisOK pants... it's a fine line between letting parents get on with it and watching a child being abused :(

Some very funny storied though

Bubble - life was far simpler wasn't it! Oh for the 70's!!

Flip

1 2 3