To feel very sorry for this little boy

[elmofan]

This morning as i waited with DD in her line for her teacher to come out and collect the children a little boy in her class got very upset because another boy skipped him in the line (this is a major NO NO to 4/5yr olds in DD's class ) anyway - his dad bent down to him and held him by the shoulders giving him a little but firm shake while telling him to "man up" over & over until he caught me and other parents giving him type looks . The dad got embarrassed and then started to try make his son laugh . Should i have told this dad to back off ? It's been playing on my mind all day tbh .

I agree that man up is a crappy thing to say to an upset little boy. But it is a small thing indeed to be preying on your mind

Oh for goodness sake find something to do with yourself. Like watching paint dry. How someone else parents, provided it doesnt involve serious abuse, which this isnt, is utterly none of your business.

Which is why i didn't get involved, just felt sorry for the poor kid.

'I ackowledge your frustration DC, now shut the fuck up'

When you tell your DC a rule sleepongsowell, I've found they have a tendency to apply it ferociously to every situation wherever they are.

So they need to learn that sometimes although the rule is there, it's not appropriate to pick up on it.

Eg 'I might have said no more chocolate DD, but that rule doesn't apply to me

I would only intervene if I saw something that was undoubtedly a black and white 'wrong' elmo.

And if it was that black and white, you wouldn't hesitate about doing something.

Yep your right agent.
It wasn't nice to see tbh but we all have our own ways
of doing things i suppose.

I don't like the phrase, I'm with you there. With DS I usually just say, "that is upsetting, isn't it? But you're all right so that's enough now."

I probably would have said something to the dad, nothing mean but just "kids eh?" or something.

This is what's known as 'a different type of parenting style from yours'.

Hardly criminal or cruel.

Yabu!