is the parent to blame in this case?

Question

at the store yesterday, this 4yr old just slapped this sales floor worker like that.
b4 u could say "what was that", the girl flicked the kid over and spanked him 3 hot times.
that caused quite a stir cos the woman(mom) flipped and attacked the girl. the store manager had to come over.. blames were traded.
whats ur take?? is it a crime to spank a kid?? can the girl b sued 4 over slapping the kid on the buttocks? after all the 4yr old slapped her on the face, while she was bent over arranging some items.

yeah the parents want to press charges, store is tryn to water the case down, and might fire the girl.
but i think the girl is justified.
i mean, kids have no respects these days,
the spank wont kill him

spare the rod and spoil the child.
we will have a boomerang in the future due to spoilt children

Answer 1

I think the law is to blame. Parents should be encouraged to discipline their children physically if necessary, but with the aim of correcting them and with prayer to God for wisdom in doing it. If that 4-year had been properly brought up to respect others,whether younger or older, he would not have had the recklessness of slapping another person especially an older one. So the mother should go home and do her homework. More importantly, the FATHER should SIT UP and bring up a son he would be proud of in future.

I think also that stores should ,maybe, put up signs discouraging their clients/guests/customers, whatever they call them, from assaulting or insulting their workers. We should remember that the workers are already tired after a long day of standing on their feet. I wonder what that boy's mother would have done if she had been the one slapped.Lastly the store should not sack the girl. Remember our children's future is important.

Answer 2

The parent is entirely to blame. Obviously, they didn't bother to teach their child that it is wrong to slap someone, and that is their responsibility.

I feel badly for the sales clerk, who was doing what the parent should have done a long time ago! I hope she does not get into trouble.

People should not have to discipline other's children, but an adult also shouldn't have to take a slap in the face from someone's bratty kid. The child's mother should have been the one to do the spanking, and she should have been right on it. If she couldn't get to the kid first, she should have told the child after the spanking that that's what he gets for hitting someone. The whole thing is entirely inappropriate, and the parent should be ashamed of herself for even getting upset in the first place.

There will be those who say that the sales clerk was entirely in the wrong for spanking the child, but if a lazy parent isn't going to discipline their brat, who is? She shouldn't have to put up with being slapped.

Answer 3

This is a tough one. Many people are against spanking, the logic being that they are setting the example for their kids that hitting isn't the way to resolve a problem. My husband and I believe this, and have yet to find a reason to spank our sons. However, I am open to the idea that there may be something so horrid and disruptive in the future that would warrant a spanking. Crossing our fingers that it won't happen. If it does come to spanking, we will make sure that it is not done in anger, as you described above.
On the other hand, many believe that the lack of spanking kids in the past two decades may have something to do with the lack of respect many kids have for parents, teachers, and other adults. It's very difficult to discipline your kids in public without looking like a monster.
With all this in mind, I believe that it is NEVER ok to spank another person's child...EVER. This clerk was WAY out of line and the mother should have complained to the manager, but not in front of the child. The sales clerk hitting him back was an example of "natural consequences". Maybe he'll learn. Chastising the clerk in front of the child will send the wrong message and cause more harm to him than good.

Answer 4

wait..do u mean the worker smacked the kid b/c if that is the case she should b sued and charge 4 abusing a kid b/c she didn't have permission to spank the child from her mother. I think it would also b smart of the store 2 fire her b/c u don't want 2 go 2 a store where employs hit children who aren't polite.

Now, if it was the mom, she has every right to hit her child. She had a good, justified reason to hit the child but the girl should b taught by her parents that it is not polite to hit people across the face 4 no reason.

Answer 5

I don't believe in hitting children. I was never hit, although my mom did spank the living hell out of me when I had it coming. Spanking is , as my mother puts it, an "I love you on the butt." Kids hve too many choices today. The choices should be between behave and get swatted on the rear. Any 4 year old that is going around hitting strangers desperately needs to swat on the tukus. The only crime here is that the parent hasn't done a better job disciplining this child.

Answer 6

I really hate to say this cause I sympathize with the saleslady but you can't strike anothers child. The saleslady was in no way abusive and it would seem the child isn't getting the discipline it needs and these are the results. However she legally was in the wrong. What will be worse is the parents will make a big deal out of it and in the end the child will be made a victim sending the child the wrong message.

Answer 7

Clearly the child didn't learn violence from anywhere but what the parent exposes them too at 4 years old. I blame the parent for what the child did, but the stores associate shouldn't of spanked the child regardless. Even if he is a little bratt, there is no justification for hitting someone smaller and younger than you. You need to control your anger and frustration because you need to be a better person. But on the bright side, maybe that 4 year old will think twice before he slaps someone else....

Answer 8

Okay, that kid was a brat, end of story. The parents probably ARE to blame for this child's behavior, but I don't know the situations so I can't say anything. It's not the clerk's place to hit the child, though. Oh man this story just makes my blood boil. If I saw that kid doing something like that!

Answer 9

The Mother was correct to protect her child. The child of course was wrong and the mother needs to deal with that issue.. The shop girl needed and should have reported the incident to the mother and ask her to control her child. You cannot take it upon yourself to hit a child even if you feel the kid needed a good kick up the A**e. Stores should train their staff how to deal with these incidents, They ( the management ) are also responsible in protecting staff from assault even if its from a child. The mother could sue and the Shop girl could sue for improper guidence and training..

Answer 10

Ultimately, I don't think that the sales woman was out of order, but quickly finding the child's parent would have probably been the better choice in today's PC world.

The worst case scenario would be that if the child's parent was a liberal and wouldn't have done much of anything.

I'm going to have to side with the sales clerk here.