A parents who knows how to raise a child is critisized by permissive parents?

A few days ago, I was in the park eating some carrots are dip and taking in the gorgeous day. There was a child of around 5 years old who was throwing sand at other children. The mother walked up to him, and gave him a swift slap across the face. I was very pleased to see a parent who knew how to properly dicipline her child, and it restored my faith in some parents. However, a few parents seemed to hve a problem with her methods and confronted her. They called her a child abuser amongst other things and even threatened to call childrens services.
This poor woman told them to mind their own business, and left the park area.
So my question... why do other parents who are permissive and allow their children to run wild like little pigs; have the gall to stick their noses in the business of another parent who actually knows how to discipline her child.

I came accross this quote by Leonard Pitts Jr., and my does it ring true... I can't put it any better, so here ya go:

"Something happened to parenting as the job shifted from the World War II generation to its children, the baby boomers. They put less emphasis on rules and more on self-esteem. Where previous generations were restrictive, baby boomers were permissive. Where previous generations gave orders, baby boomers negotiated. Mothers and fathers had been parents. Baby boomers became co-equals, playmates. And we're seeing the fruit of that approach. We're seeing kids who are disconnected, disaffected, materialistic, filled with a misplace sense of entitlement and sometimes, just flat-out spoiled."


I have 2 daughters, one of which is 2 years old. If she does something wrong - you bet your bottom dollar she's going to be punished for it. Kids don't learn by negotiations, young children don't understand ultimatums, and all reasoning does is teaches that there's no consequences for their actions. It's really, really sad.
I'm a firm believer in applying the "hand of knowlege to the seat of learning".

Parents need to do their kids a favor and care enough about them and the people that they are going to grow up to be to discipline them and teach them that there ARE consequences for their irresponsible and bad actions. AMEN!

You don't need to be violent to a child to teach them how to behave.I agree a lot of parents are too permissive & don't bother taking the time to discipline their children but there are methods that do work very well that don't involve hitting or humiliating a child.
This in my eyes is just as bad as letting them get away with bad behaviour, its just lazy.

:o That is awful!!! Is it even legal to handle your child like that? If I were there I would have called child services, if you thought that was acceptable I hope you don't have any children....

It's appalling what some parents are getting away with now days, there are more effective ways of discipline other than physically abusing your child.

Granted we all have different parenting methods, however that's just made me cringe.

There are ways of disciplining your child without violence... and they tend to work much better than hitting a child. I agree with you that there are many parents out there who don't know how to discipline their children - or even worse don't even bother to try! But you don't need to hit your child to be a good parent and to keep your children in line.

I would have been upset too. There is nothing wrong with spanking a child on the butt, leg, or hand. Slapping on the face is truly uncalled for and I'd only find it acceptable in very few situations. There is nothing wrong with disciplining a child, its her method that I'd call into question.

smacking your child across the face is unacceptable...as is being overly permissive. Both are inappropriate, but abuse is considered far more inappropriate. I am all for discipline and rules and consequences, but hitting your child in the face crosses the line.

Dude - who's child was it that was throwing sand? Was it the child of the permissive parents?

So, who's child is it that is running wild?

That was a bit much. She could have removed him from the sand box, smacked his @ss and left the park (after a warning). A smack across the face is just wrong. I agree with the other parents.

I know this is made up because no parent would smack their child across the face, and next.....Robbie Rotten wouldnt Eat carrots, thats sport candy.

I am a strict parent..but i do believe a slap across the face is a bit much for throwing sand. A slap on the hand maybe.

Thats why a parent shouldn't get used to hitting their child

Theres other ways to get your child to behave without B*tch smaking them!

That IS abuse. You NEVER slap a child across the face!

Hitting a child in the face is abuse! If a parent reacts that way in public imagine what goes on behind closed doors! Did the mother try any other forms of dicipline before hitting in the face? Did the kid even know why he/she was struck?
Furthermore, it is the other parents buisness to have their children submitted to that kind of behaviour, especially from an adult! Would you let your child go to that woman's home for a play date?
Lastly, the park is one place children can go and run around and be kids. All young children will throw sand, removing them from the sand box would have been sufficient disipline, or leaving the park.
Do you even know what it's like growing up thinking "if I get carried away, or do somthing my parents don't like, somthing wrong-I will have welts on my back for the next week-puting on cloths will bring tears to my eyes, and taking a shower will be torture?" Put that in your pipe and smoke it....
There is a line between dicipline and abuse, and strikeing a child in the face is abuse!

Smacking a child across the face and being permissive are equally wrong. There needs to be a balance between the two. The child needed to be disciplined, and if the parent chose to do so, then a spanking would have been acceptable. However, giving a spanking is one thing; smacking across the face IS considered abuse. The mom was right to discipline the child, but not in such a violent manner.
But it doesn't matter, because this obviously didn't happen. Judging by your other questions, it looks like you're just a troll with too much time on his hands.

I do agree that maybe the slapping was a bit too much, but I completely understand what you mean about good parents. I don't think those permissive parents needed to get in her face about the way she disciplined her child. And let me guess, they all went up against her together, right? I'll never understand. I certainly hope you talked to the parent of the child throwing sand and told her how much you appreciate that she deals with her son's discipline issues. A person could live a lifetime on one compliment.

There is a strong difference between punishment and discipline. And doing both of these out of anger. I believe that slapping without discussing the problem is punishment out of anger. It does no good to the child and is cruel and uncalled for. She should have explain to him what he was doing wrong and why it is wrong and then decided the correct most effective disciplinary action. Punishment is something done out of anger and hate and only makes the child fear you. with discipline he will learn what is right and the consequesnces for his actions, even if he hates the discipline you choose he knows it is fair and out of love and desire to teach proper behavior. He will learn to respect you for it. And yes, people should mind their own businass, but this type of punishment in public usually is a sign of more serious trouble and abuse at home

I am not against discipline. My step daughter (8) gets smacked around (on the face) by her bio mom all the time and has horrible bruises. She is currently in our care pending a final ruling of our custody case. I am not opposed to spanking although it is very rarely needed in our home. My grandfather always says "that's why we were created with a crack already in our hind end". His point is that spanking is fine...slapping in the face is not.
While I do not believe that I have a right to judge another persons' way a raising their child, I have to admit that my biggest concern is that if this woman will openly smack her kid like that in public, what happens behind closed doors?
It can be a fine line between abuse and discipline. I wouldn't ever stick my nose in unless I knew the child to be in actual danger.

I would not call this woman a child abuser nor would I make it my business to say anything to her, BUT I would not have chosen to slap my child in the face. I believe that to be extreme.
I am not a permissive parent at all. I believe in discipline and giving consequences for misbehavior. I do believe that those permissive parents should have let it be and kept to themselves as it's not their place to determine what is right and what is wrong.

Sure the child needed to be disciplined, but I could think of a couple ways other than a slap on the face to correct him. Leaving the park would be one, a time out in public would be another, a spanking could be one, or simply telling him that it's not appropriate behavior and to apologize would be great. It all depends on your child and what is the most effective for them.

-Just to add- Any child can act up, both permissive and non-permissive parents' children. And a child throwing sand is hardly "running wild" be it the child of a permissive or non-permissive parent. No one has perfect children.