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Seriously, and every parent remembers their kid’s first public tantrum, because we were so blinded-sided by it, and trying to figure out what to do to make it stop. All the while, you have an audience of people who wonder why you don’t just spank him, other people who are waiting to see if you do spank him so they can report you. And they’re all assuming you’re incompetent and your kid must to this every time they’re in the store.
I was lucky in that I had older siblings that had kids before I was even an adult. Also, I waited until I was 30ish to have kids because I knew there was no way I was ready before then (I have a firm belief that men, in general, are idiots before 30, mainly because there is no blood flowing to the brain).
My reaction to my kids having a tantrum in the store was to lie down and throw a tantrum with them. It only took once for them to see how idiotic it was. It started with my niece, who was notorious for her tantrums, and continued when I had my own. Yeah, the other people in the store looked at me like I was insane, but I'll take the odd looks in exchange for showing my children that a tantrum is not an effective way to influence the situation.
1) You do not get to call ICE just because someone is Mexican.
2) I don't know which part of Mexico he's from, but having been to non-touristy parts of Mexico for an extended period of time on a project and getting to know the locals, a stranger hitting a kid wouldn't live to go to other countries and brag about it. Whenever I've seen a kid being unruly there, it's the parent (or accompanying relative) responsible for disciplining their kid.
Too late, ICE was already called. Deal with it.
In any case, "cultural differences" is just one reason why immigration should be banned.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LauraC
Father should have said, "Well this is what we do in the US when a stranger touches our child" and then socked the guy in the face.
LOL. That would be classic, and definitely an epic way to do it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by krichton
i somehow doubt ppl in mexico allow other ppl to spank their kids.
Depends on the people - tribal people are more likely okay with that kind of discipline because communal living is part of their culture. So it might depend on how mestizo they are - or IF they are.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mysticaltyger
Here's the problem:
We no longer enforce any kind of community standards when it comes to civilized behavior. I'm NOT trying to justify what this man did. But my mom told me that prior to about 1970, if kids were acting up in a store, store management would throw the errant parent and child out of the store pretty regularly. Now that this is only done in the most extreme cases, we get these other not so good side effects.
Somehow a kid crying in a checkout line doesn't seem to breach any historical expectation of "civilized behavior", nor constitute the kind of thing that would get you ejected from a store. You're already at checkout...how does the store benefit from ejecting you when you're just about to give them money? If they eject you, then they don't get the money AND they have to restock all your items.
We no longer enforce any kind of community standards when it comes to civilized behavior. I'm NOT trying to justify what this man did. But my mom told me that prior to about 1970, if kids were acting up in a store, store management would throw the errant parent and child out of the store pretty regularly. Now that this is only done in the most extreme cases, we get these other not so good side effects.
What a great idea in this age of personal video cameras and instant publication via social media. I'm sure a manager tossing a family with a crying two-year-old out of a store would go over famously with the folks at home. They'd be talking about it for days, and the store would receive a huge amount of publicity.
We no longer enforce any kind of community standards when it comes to civilized behavior. I'm NOT trying to justify what this man did. But my mom told me that prior to about 1970, if kids were acting up in a store, store management would throw the errant parent and child out of the store pretty regularly. Now that this is only done in the most extreme cases, we get these other not so good side effects.
I don’t believe for one second that a crying toddler would fall under any store manager’s (in any era) definition of “acting up” and warrant removal from the store. A kid running amok, knocking over displays, etc, by all means do ask them to leave. But crying? Really? That’s not misbehaving; it’s the only means a small child has to express frustration. Most people understand that there is only so much a parent can do to control crying, and just want to get the heck out of there as soon as possible.
It always cracks me up how offended people get by Clinton's book and this title. Especially when I see many of the same people bemoaning the lack of societal values once held dear by us Westerners. If Reagan or Bush wrote such a book, it would be embraced.
I don't have kids but do have little nephews and nieces. When in public I basically do 2 things:
1. Make sure they don't stir up trouble.
2. Make sure they are safe.
His reaction of being stunned was more like what you expect on those hidden camera shows where a guy walks up to your shopping cart and steals an item out of it as a prank. Nobody is in danger and you're more like "did that just happen?" and you even make sure you had the right cart, etc.
Again, no kids but the nephews and nieces. I'm on alert. My mindset is different then when I'm on my own.
You have to be, when your role is to protect someone. Even in the most innocuous of situations like a supermarket checkout line there has to be some part of you that is ready to take violent action. The trick is to keep that part dialed way, way down so it never intrudes on a normal, pleasant day, but still be able to draw on it quickly when necessary. That father should have been on the Mexican before the second blow was landed. But he froze and did nothing. It's understandable but still shameful.
I would would step between them and tell him to keep his hands off my kid but then I have self control and logic.
Logic? This isn't a debate on creationism vs evolution, it is responding to a stranger striking your 2 yr old kid . Defending your toddler from physical attack is natural, and does not indicate a lack of self control , anymore than hitting a guy trying to sexually assault a young girl would be.
I hope you are female. That at least would explain part of it.
Logic? This isn't a debate on creationism vs evolution, it is responding to a stranger striking your 2 yr old kid . Defending your toddler from physical attack is natural, and does not indicate a lack of self control , anymore than hitting a guy trying to sexually assault a young girl would be.
I hope you are female. That at least would explain part of it.
I don't know about that. When it comes to defending our children we don't take any ****.
I don't know about that. When it comes to defending our children we don't take any ****.
Very true. Many women would be smacking him with their handbag or scratching his eyes out. But I do think that as a rule woman would be more likely to simply remove the child away from the assaulter and let others deal with him, while a man would be more likely to knock the offender on his arse as a means of stopping the assault.
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