This is not right

Thats called a propensity for violence. The little girl will grow up and do the same thing with her children. The mother probably got it from her parents. Its sad when we mislead our children into false ways. I believe the mother needs counselling on raising her children.

I'm not averse to spanking a child on the behind when they've messed up, but to me, that was completely inappropriate and uncalled for. If the child was sitting in the cart, the child had to have been fairly young - still learning manners. The appropriate thing, to me, is what you said - calmly but firmly explain to the child how rude it is to interrupt people when they are talking...I have to do it from time to time with my kids, and they CAN learn without being struck! Perhaps this lady had different beliefs or the child interrupting has become a big problem, but I definitely do not agree with striking a child in the face EVER. That's a big no no to me - I can't believe she did that in public!

That is definitely wrong, she's a bad mother that's for sure. A child's mind is still fragile, and what she did could have an adverse effect on the child psychologically while growing up. I am guessing the child might lose her confidence if the mom keeps on doing those things. To be honest however, people do change... she might just be a new mother and perhaps still don't know how to handle a child. I for one experience those stuffs, in which my father used to throw me around when I did something wrong (not kidding). There was a time however when my father banged my head on the table that I end up going to the hospital, after that he had dramatically change to the nicest dad I ever have. It's been 9 years since that event and I could say he's even more nice than my mom . He said that he was traumatize by that experience and swears that he won't do it again.

I think that the type of behavior you are describing coming from this lady was really uncalled for. She should be paying attention to the children especially if it is two of them in a cart. You need to be careful these days when looking away from your children for any reason. It sounds like the little girl just wanted her mother's attention and didn't really deserve getting slapped.

I agree with you that she should never have slapped the chile. Hard or not. If the child was still small enough to sit in the seat of the buggy then she probably doesn't even understand the don't interupt concept. I would have probably said something to the mother and get into an agrument or worse. But you don't disrespect your children just because you are bigger than them and feel that you can. I am a mom of 6 and yes I spank my kids but I also show them the respect that they deserve. My yougest is almost 4 and we are trying very hard to teach nim not to interupt but I don't smack him in the face when he does.I'm sorry you had to witness that

Being a mother of four kids (all girls). I have never hit my kids in the face nor have I ever yelled at the girls. I just explain to them if they are doing something wrong. Their father and I agree that yelling makes things worse. When we was kids are parents yelled at us and popped us. So we are useing a different approach to it. Our girls are well behaved. They get asked all the time if they are in trouble and we explain that they act like this all the time. So I think that anyone who hits their kid in the face is not being a good parent.

The little girl should not have been slapped at all. All she wanted was for her Mom to give her some attention. And no one but no one should be slapped in the face. Hard or not the Mom should not have done that. What was wrong with addressing what her little girl wanted and than go back to talking. The Mom should not have done that.

I really never understood why parents do these things. First of all, it's seen as being abusive. God forbid, someone decided to report her to Child Protective Services. Having said that I believe that most parents do this out of ignorance. The child learns nothing from being slapped except that they deem it okay to physically abuse others and that will certainly show up later when the child is in school. When my own kids did things like this, I would simply tell them not to interrupt while I was talking and to please learn to say "excuse me". Both my kids have grown up learning to use their manners and use socially acceptable behavior in public, and they learned all of that without ever having to have been slapped.

I agree. I think, first of all, it was backwards for her to first slap her and then ask her what she wanted. I mean, was the conversation that deep that her daughter calling her caused her to be slapped? I was taught and I teach my children (and sometimes they actually listen) that when you see people talking and you want to say something, the proper thing to say is "Excuse me" What is so hard about that? I wonder is she a young mother.

I don't think that the child should have been slapped, no matter how hard it was. The child needs to be taught that interrupting is rude. Her mother needs to be taught that slapping a child is inappropriate. Makes you wonder that if she does that in public, what does she do to the child at home? This world is full of bad parents!

Maybe the mother got somewhat irritated that's why she did that. Still what she did was wrong,children want a lot of attention and by not giving them such, they tend to do things that might be irritating to adults. I think she should have just did what you've suggested.

I believe that it was totally inappropriate. There are other ways to reprimand a child than slapping them in the face. I would never do that to my children and I do believe sometimes the child deserves spanking depending on what they do. I think talking to children is much better way though. You have to still understand that they are just kids. You have to be patient with them. Not hit them for every little thing they do.

I'd have an officer ready if I was about to confront a woman who just slapped her little one in the face, she probably won't take confrontation lightly or want to be told how to discipline her child either... A child should never be slapped in the face, I don't care how light it was. There's ways to talk to the child and remedy the situation but that's just ridiculous.

Wow, that's cruel. The fact that the little girl was calling to her meant the she needs something from her mama. Slapping a child is not, for me, a good way of disciplining a child. I totally agree that she should have excused herself to her friend and took the time to explain to her daughter that she's busy talking.

I agree with you. Poor kid. Just because mom doesn't want to pay attention.

Good day... Yes slapping a child in public isn't just right and instead of disciplining them you're traumatizing them and that would not help in their developing years.

Well, it's definitely not a sign of love to use violence as a means to discipline ones child. It's a sad truth that a lot of children are abused by their own parents in their own home. I think parents who have anger management problems and other issues shouldn't take it out on children who are innocent bystanders. I don't understand why God would make these kinds of people parents when there are so many kind but barren couples dying to conceive.

Hi, What that mother did was just uncalled for and I feel bad for the little kid . If someone gets a short temper over that then that is scary , and they should not have kids . How hard would of it been for the mom to say one moment to her friend and ask what the child wanted . Some things still shock me !

That is so sad. The child was only trying to get her attention. She probably kept talking without acknowledging her, and that made the little girl repeat herself. You are right, all she had to is whisper that she'd be done in a minute. Even explain that she was interrupting and to wait, but to slap her without warning for trying to get her to know that she was there is shameful. I hope she can find some good role models for mothering.

i agree with you . i dislike family-violence.