Boots employee smacking customer's toddler

bitemebankers

iwb100 wrote: »

Directly it is an irritant. Public transport, shops, restaurants, holidays, all sorts of everyday life can be disrupted through children who are poorly behaved.

Like I said, I've seem precious little evidence of this. It's pretty rare to see genuinely out-of-control children.

However, the poor behaviour of children and societal acceptance of it is not one of them.

I don't think society is remotely accepting of children's behaviour. You're part of society and your views are hardly uncommon.

iwb100

bitemebankers wrote: »

Like I said, I've seem precious little evidence of this. It's pretty rare to see genuinely out-of-control children.



I don't think society is remotely accepting of children's behaviour. You're part of society and your views are hardly uncommon.

I think that very much depends on your definitions, and feeds directly into the societal acceptance argument.

I think a child throwing a tantrum and knocking over an item in a shop is a) quite common and b) totally unacceptable.

In fact I lie, it's not totally unacceptable, what's unacceptable is when the parents don't think that sort of behaviour requires immediate action.

And I see it a lot, I think it's hard to avoid. Perhaps your tolerances are set higher than mine.

Saturnalia

iwb100 wrote: »

I think that very much depends on your definitions, and feeds directly into the societal acceptance argument.

I think a child throwing a tantrum and knocking over an item in a shop is a) quite common and b) totally unacceptable.

In fact I lie, it's not totally unacceptable, what's unacceptable is when the parents don't think that sort of behaviour requires immediate action.

And I see it a lot, I think it's hard to avoid. Perhaps your tolerances are set higher than mine.

Of course you see toddlers having tantrums a lot. It's what a child does at that age. They seem to have all the emotional force of an adult but no means of controlling it at that stage of their development, and when they are in an environment that over-stimulates them, off they go.

What sort of immediate action would you recommend taking? What worked with my nephew's terrible twos was standing beside him and watching that he couldn't hurt himself or damage anything else, but no talking or eye contact (sort of ignoring him but not) and he'd snap out of the meltdown pretty quickly once he stopped getting attention for the behaviour. I don't know, I'm just talking about what worked on one child, maybe all others are different?

iwb100

Saturnalia wrote: »

Of course you see toddlers having tantrums a lot. It's what a child does at that age. They seem to have all the emotional force of an adult but no means of controlling it at that stage of their development, and when they are in an environment that over-stimulates them, off they go.

What sort of immediate action would you recommend taking? What worked with my nephew's terrible twos was standing beside him and watching that he couldn't hurt himself or damage anything else, but no talking or eye contact (sort of ignoring him but not) and he'd snap out of the meltdown pretty quickly once he stopped getting attention for the behaviour. I don't know, I'm just talking about what worked on one child, maybe all others are different?

Of course age has to be taken into account. A toddler screaming is not the same as a four or five year old throwing a full blown strop, or fighting their siblings in the aisles.

Most of the behaviour I see, parents ignore, and not in a positive "no attention" manner but by simply pretending it's not happening. OR they will in a simpering and pathetic manner ask the child to stop, then when they don't will carry on pandering around said child. It's infuriating.

Children need some firmness. Being scared of adults and authority is not a negative thing. Being fearful about consequences for bad behaviour is good. A lot of parents seem to scared to "tell" their kids what's what.

I'm probably in the minority on this, but I just think it's swung far to far towards children doing what they like with very little comeback. It doesn't prepare them for life, whereby breaking the rules will often lead to very unpleasant circumstances!

Aimless

sweaty_betty wrote: »

I've just been reading this article:
http://m.spaldingtoday.co.uk/news/latest-news/mum-puts-boots-in-after-her-daughter-is-smacked-1-4955448

I find it a bit shocking that a member of staff smacked a customer's child. Telling off is one thing, but smacking?

Would be interested to know what others think.

Apparently she was on the news last night admitting she overexaggerated the force of the 'smack'.

Macca83_2

I wouldn't consider myself old, still in my twenties, but Im quite appalled by the level of behaviour in young children these days. I sometimes feel that I could be the last of a generation that could be stopped dead in their tracks by a single look from their mother.
Its the parents i feel like throttling

iwb100

Macca83 wrote: »

I wouldn't consider myself old, still in my twenties, but Im quite appalled by the level of behaviour in young children these days. I sometimes feel that I could be the last of a generation that could be stopped dead in their tracks by a single look from their mother.
Its the parents i feel like throttling

Exactly, I'm 30 and can't believe the behaviour I see.

And as you say the parents are completely to blame.

valk_scot

Macca83 wrote: »

I sometimes feel that I could be the last of a generation that could be stopped dead in their tracks by a single look from their mother.

Don't worry, you're not the last. My kids are a bit younger than you.

ammermankathrine

Id be wary of touching another persons child, let alone smacking them. Maybe Im a bit PC but this person is asking for trouble. I used to teach sports to young girls and

Macca83_2

valk_scot wrote: »

Don't worry, you're not the last. My kids are a bit younger than you.

Good on you.

My mum had it perfected to a t. I still believe that if she had cause to use it even now, it would still provoke the same reaction.