WATCH: Confrontation Over Restrained Child At South Idaho Walmart
When it comes to parenting, all moms and dads have their own way of dealing with challenges and perceived misbehavior. When a person is on the outside looking in regarding what appears to be an act of verbal or physical abuse by a parent, it can be a conduit for a confrontation.
I'm often flabbergasted when I run errands to the store and see how some parents handle their kid's behavior publically. I'll admit it, I wouldn't hesitate to speak out if I saw a parent mistreating a child in an overly-physical sort of way. I've never parented through fear or intimidation, and I've never laid a hand on either my son or daughter.
I do believe that most public confrontations can be avoided by leaving cell phones in cars or purses. When someone begins recording the actions of another in a public setting, it's just a green light for escalation. I came across a recent YouTube upload from a woman who claimed she was witnessing a form of child abuse while in line at a south Idaho Walmart.
The video shows a mother with her arm around what appears to be her son's neck. It doesn't look as if the child is in any sort of distress, and the conversation between the two women is tough to hear at times. To make a long story short, the woman across from the check stand perceived the mother's actions as inappropriate and possibly abusive, which is why she titled the post, "Woman In Nampa, Idaho Walmart Abuses Her Child."
Do you believe the woman in line acted appropriately when she called out the mother, or should she have not intervened?