tired of people spanking in public

[nichole]

I saw TWO kids get spanked in public today!

The first one, was a baby that coudln't even walk. She was trying to crawl out of the mall play area. The mom kept slapping her hand and she would just cry and keep trying. Eventually she picked her up.

The other was a kid that kept asking to go potty in the restaraunt. His mom was like you just went. Then he wouldn't sit in his chair right so they gave him a little pop on his bottom. He just ignored them. Eventually she put him on her lap.

I am being so judgemental here- it is bad and i can't help it. I think I made a little face both times but tried to do it looking away. I just hate seeing it- keep it inside people.

[hubris]

AMEN!

I don't usually see many, but tonight I was in Target and heard, then saw, a dad pop his kid on the behind. The child looked pretty forlorn and made eye contact with me, I tried to give him a sympathetic look but didn't know what else to do.

[Anglyn]

Ive seen worse than that. Ive seen people really knock the crap outta their kids, and Ive heard parents say horrible, awful things to thier kids. I never know if I should intervene. Im like, if I piss off an abusive asshole, is he just gonna go home and take it out on the kid and I made it worse? Then again, If I say nothing, Im condoning it, right? (The particular instance Im thinking of, it was a guy and he was very angry, verbally abusive, grungy looking and frankly, he scared me! The kid was quite, eyes downcast, cringing basically.)

I got into a convo with another mom the other day and she was really nice and I was really liking her and our kids were playing great. Then she made some joke about hows decided to "beat them into submission" and starts going on about parents who dont spank and let thier kids get away with everything...I never know what to say. I still feel like a minority.

[rmzbm]

Originally Posted by nichole

I am being so judgemental here- it is bad and i can't help it.

Um, no it's not. I would have made a comment for sure. Ridiculous. :

[peacelovingmama]

Originally Posted by nichole

I am being so judgemental here- it is bad and i can't help it. I think I made a little face both times but tried to do it looking away. I just hate seeing it- keep it inside people.

No, your judgment is not "bad." I feel the same way when I see racism, sexism, homophobia, domestic violence, etc. Why would it be bad to judge these things and not violence against children? I hate seeing it too. But I don't think people need to "keep it inside." I think they need to stop the violence period.

[thefragile7393]

Stuff like this really bothers me. I remember all too well being spanked/hit in public and how humiliating it was. Yeah the humiliation got me to stop but it's led to issues that I still deal with.

[pjabslenz]

My children and I witnessed this same thing just the other night while out to eat. It was so heart breaking to watch and my kids sat staring with their jaws dropped open. Two parents and their son were out to eat. From what I gathered, they were eating their appetizer when the little boy started coughing because he didn't like the spices or something on the food. He was wiping at his tongue to get the taste off and coughing loudly. His mom told him to stop making noise but he continued. That's when it happened...she slapped him in the face. Not once but three times. She slapped him once but that only caused him to cry more so she did it again and told him to stop embarrassing her. He didn't stop so popped him again. When all this failed, the dad got up, walked to his high chair and was asking the boy if he needed something. The little boy started crying and screaming, "No!" hysterically and I'll never forget the look of terror in his eyes as his dad pulled him out of the high chair. They headed off to the bathroom where we could hear the little boy crying even more (assuming that he was spanked) and then silence. Dad and the boy returned to the table the little boy wasn't acknowledeged the rest of their meal. It was so terribly sad.

My kids had lots of questions after witnessing that.

[nichole]

At disney dh saw a kid get spanked for something related to pottying. I'm so glad I didn't see that one. I want to move back to cali.

[bellona]

I was at Walmart the other day and I heard what sounded like a child being spanked in the next isle over. Not like a full blown spanking, but little smacks and the child crying and the mom talking in that low, quite, growl-y voice telling the kid to be quiet or she was going to get it again. I just froze and didn't know what to do. Then I heard the mother tell her more loudly taht since she was being such a baby she wasn't going to get a toy today like she was promised. Then they rounded the corner and the little girl was, like...

A YEAR AND A HALF!!!!! SHE WASN'T ACTING LIKE A BABY...SHE WAS A BABY FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!

I never know what to say without sounding nasty when people tell me that now the government is trying to make it so we can't discipline our own kids because they're going to make spanking illegal. I usually say something along the lines of I think if they make spanking illegal it will allow kids up to be disciplined because their parents will have to learn what else to do BESIDES spank them.