What do you think?

Question

I was at a store doing some last minute shopping. I was waiting in line to checkout and this lady was in front of me with a little girl who was about 4 years old. The little girl ask the woman if she could have some candy and the woman's response to the little girl was to grab her by her hair and yank all the way to the door, the whole time she had the little girl's hair in her grip. The little girl was crying and telling the woman she was sorry. I felt so bad, I wanted to say something so bad, but fearing it would make things worse, I kept quiet. I am all for discipling your children, but this seemed to be to be a bit extreme. I just wanted to get your views on this because I was upset by witnessing this and wondered if I was over-reacting.

I did go to the security officer in the store and ask him if there was something he could do and he said that was not his concern. I asked him if his job didn't entail making sure the customers were safe while in the store and he said that was between the mother and child and was no one else's business. I literally was sick to my stomach because my thought was if she did that to her child in the store what would she do to her at home. A friend of mine who was with me did get the woman's plate number, but I'm not sure that anything will be done about it.

I just don't understand why people have children, just to mistreat them. There are so many childless couples in the world who would do anything to have a child, it just makes me crazy to see people who have been blessed with children to abuse them.

Answer 1

the woman should of been dragged out by her hair, And i hate people who treats their kids like that. instead of saying no,not now. To bad you didnt know who she was or where she lived you could call child welfare and report her. if she could do that what do you think shes doing to her at home.

Answer 2

Your story so totally made me cry. I can't justify it - it sounds horrible - but I know how hard it is to be a parent. I know how angry our children can make us and when you couple that with so much pressure and stress in today's society it can make us do things that we are not proud of, or that we wouldn't ordinarily do.

Please - you saw those people. Please spend some time getting a good vivid picture of both the child and mother in your mind and try to see them happy. Try to see them hugging and loving each other and envision it as a brief moment of unhappiness in their otherwise loving and wonderful life. Please. There is not much else we can do - and since you saw them, you have the best chance of directing the energy their way. Make sure you see them both - if the mother is not happy, the child will not likely be either.

Peace!

PS - You know, it is easy to say she should go to social services or the police - but what does that do for the child? It rips her away from her mother - and whatever other family she has. Wouldn't it be better to try to show the mother some compassion and help her to do the same for her kid? The mother is likely acting out what she learned in her own childhood. No one can really judge the situation without knowing more about the people involved.

Later...
People don't have children just to mistreat them. Being a parent is a very hard job and we receive almost no training or preparation for it. There are many people who have had their own disfunctional parents that have children and vow to do better than their own parent did, only to find that they don't know any other way to to do it. And may I recommend that you refrain from the "I don't know how people do..." kind of thinking. I have found in my life that if I ask that question often enough, the Universe will put me in exactly that situation I would need to find out - and too often the answer is that I could not do any better. It's hard enough to live with that mental image in your mind - try to see that woman in the best possible light, so when you are in a difficult situation with outsiders looking in, you can look forward to that same treatment.

Peace!

Answer 3

You are not overeacting. That constitutes child abuse. If you ever see something like that you should call CPS or your local law enforcement immediately. You are right, if she did that to the child in the store, she probably does worse to her at home. I would have reported the security officer to proper management for being rude and unconcerned. He could not have done anything to the woman because he is not the law, but he could have helped you contact someone who is.

Answer 4

You were certainly not over-reacting. I would have said something. You could also have followed her and got her license plate to report to the police so they could have notified child services. That was way toooo far out of line.

Answer 5

someone needs to grab that mom by the hair and yank her out of the store and into social services. Women like that shouldn't have children

Answer 6

Sounds like a case for the social services to me.

Answer 7

That mother did wrong. I had a friend that did that and worse. I just don't know what to do in this case because they parent does it around public or in doors. I am religious. what I do is pray for them.

Answer 8

I'd backhand that woman across the face and pull that little girl away as fast as I could! Call social services or something!

Answer 9

me, personally, would have stopped the woman and called the cops. that should be considered child abuse.

Answer 10

OMG!!!!
i wud have sed sumthin cuz i love kids!!!!
that was sooo terrible.....