To judge people who 'discipline' their children in public?

[possum18]

Today at work a little girl about 4 and her mum had just finished their shopping. Little girl asked mum if she could have some of the crisps they had just bought as part of their shop. Mum went CRAZY at her dd, grabbing her by the wrist and yelling and swearing at her. DD started crying so she dragged her outside by her wrist. Was very distressing and not the first time I've seen something like this!! I'd never dream of acting like this, let alone in public. Am I the only one????

I think something has gone wrong in this country. So many people are having kids that seemingly don't know or don't care how to be a parent. Meanwhile plenty of good, decent people put off having kids forever because they don't feel they can afford it.

OP swearing at a child isn't on but what was she saying, was it swearing at the child like 'you little fucker' or was she swearing like 'I'm fucking furious with you'? Neither is ok but one much worse than the other.

Other than that, you can't know what had preceded what you saw, so I think YABabitU. Shouting happens when you're at the end of your tether (for many people) and some children collapse to the floor or resist when held by the wrist/hand so that it looks as though they're being dragged. The situation might have been as bad as it looked, or it might not. Some of the other situations described on here are just though!

Well many, many years ago my son was (about 4) was a very rude and badly behaved boy in a shoe shop in Wimbledon. He had three warnings and after the second was told he would get a smacked bottom if he didn't behave. He continued to be rude and was rude to the lady serving us. He got a smacked bottom (before it as illegal) in the shop and was taken home straight away. That evening he was made to copy out a little letter saying sorry to the lady and the next day we went back to the shop and delivered it and he said sorry.

The lady was really pleased and he never behaved like that in a shop again. I know it's different but that's not to say that children don't need boundaries.

CrabbyBigBottom - it was a stern 'fuck off and shut your mouth!' I asked my cashier who had processed her shopping previously and she said it was pretty unprovoked and her dd hadn't been a brat. Who knows, like many of you have rightly pointed out I don't know the full story or the people involved. It was just hard to watch from my point of view. Seems a lot of you have been in similar situations, glad to hear I'm not the only one to feel like this, although sad to hear its such a common thing to witness.

marriedinwhiteisback the letter is a genius idea, i might pinch that.

Possom no that is not in any way excusable. Some people are just bloody horrible.

I don't think anything is going wrong in this country. It's always been like this, you will always get people who have differing values and discipline methods.

I do feel sorry for the children involved though.

it's nothing new there were always shit parents.

sad but true.