If a child is loud/miss-behaves at the store/in public places?

Question

Is it a good way, when a child is being very loud at the sore or yelling for not getting what he/she want´s to calmly put hand over his/her mouth and keep on walking? I remember once young woman told me she used this method to a child who was not her own when she begun to yell in public place for some matter. This girl was allready known for her bad behaviour and being spoiled. Do you think that woman did the right thing? I myself remember when I was a child my grandmother put her hand over my mouth when I begun to scream at the table disturbing others present.

Answering to the question of The Stylist: Well, first I felt kind of pressed, power of sound taken from me, but then it made me feel releaved and calm. It worked very well for me. Also I now remember my mother doing it to me sometimes when I was laughing out too loud in restaurant or yelling in public.

Answer 1

Well, How did you like it when your grandmother did that? I would rather see that than a slap or holler. If you Can do it calmly, remove the child from the situation, and speak to them out of public view- then yes that is a good plan, but not to just cover their mouth for the duration of the trip.

Answer 2

Good Lord, the woman who placed her hand over someone's else's child 's mouth should be arrested for assault, laying her hands on a child that;s not hers when no physical threat was present. What an idiotic idea- the kids will just get louder or bite, and everyone gets the joy of seeing not just a child, but their parent too, misbehave.

Answer 3

I could never support someone touching a child that wasn't their own. In the rare cases of my kids misbehaving &/or acting out loudly in public, I was always succesfull by putting them into time-out immediately, no matter where we were. I even put them in time-out, either in a corner, or made them sit on the floor by a wall, even in malls, stores & restaurants. I then clearly told them for anyone nearby to hear that they were going to have their time-out, just like at home. It always worked well. I think it worked well because they realized it turned any embarrassment they caused to be focused on them, not my wife & I. I actually had other parents and even a police officer who witnessed it compliment me on this method and the good results.

Answer 4

i don't think it's bad, could be a lot worse. if she was smacking the child in the mouth then i would say something
but if it workied for you and you aren't tramatized...


if my kids act like that..which they do...i will ignore them(like if they keep crying about a candy bar and i've already said no 10 times) and if it gets too bad i will drop everything in the middle of the store and leave (especially if i'm there to get them something). there is no Good way to deal with it, if you spank them or raise your voice you're being abusive, but if you give in to them, you're a pushover. people are always going to find a problem with how you are raising your child.

Answer 5

One, if you do this you can get hurt. I mean the child can pack in a few pounds to that bite. Two, wouldn't that be dangerous if cops think you are kidnapping the child? Lastly, there's always a better way to discipline the kid verbally or to make sure that before you go to the grocery, there are some rules, consequences to them (keep em or break em), and SUGGESTED ALTERNATIVE behavior.

Answer 6

I've known peeps to take their children to the bathroom in a public place to spank them or whatever the disipline was. I haven't ran into the problem yet, but covering their mouths I wouldn't. I grew up in the day of public spankings and I'm ok! nowadays peeps want to call the law on you for child abuse if you did that. What a load of crap. that's why their kids are probably the wild animals that are disrespectful towards others. bring back public spankings!!!

Answer 7

I never did the hand over the mouth method. I taught my children at home what behaviors were acceptable. I was also willing to discipline them immediately, rather at home, in public, store, church or restaurant. I was willing to leave a store if they weren't willing to behave. If they could not behave when I wanted them to, then I would NOT give them what they wanted. I never gave them something that they had thrown a fit for. I also taught them to respect when others are talking, and not repeating Mommy over and over by responding to there request immediately or as close to. If I was on the phone, and they needed something I would ask the caller to hold, get them their drink and let them know I was on the phone. When you respect them, they respect you! ;p

Answer 8

well my two year old started swearing when out at 18 months and the more i tried to stop her the more she did it.so i found that ignoring her and making her apologise when she'd calmed down made her stop.i think that putting your hand over a childs mouth would only frustrate them further

Answer 9

Don't see nothing wrong with that, or you can try time out's in the bathroom, when the fit starts just stop carry her in the bathroom and stand there don't look at her until she is done, then ask her in a calm voice are we ready to try again, then try again, if she does it again repeat, it worked for my kids,

Answer 10

Wow, what lenient parents and grandparents you had. My Mom or Dad no matter where we were at home, in a public place, church, wherever, just reached over and smacked us and if we kept it up when we got home it was the belt on the backside. I learned, took a while, I admit, but I learned the value of quiet. Now, I wish people would do the same for their unruly kids.