I have just been reading about the recent story of how a shop worker smacked a three year old girl, who she deemed to be misbehaving, without the permission of the parent. Needless to say, I am outraged (although it seems not everyone is).
I could of course write a good deal on why I think smacking is wrong, and have a good rant about this. But the story also made my blood pressure rise for other reasons. It evoked that all too familiar feeling of extreme annoyance and affront that I feel whenever someone takes it upon themselves, uninvited, to speak to my child in a way I feel is not appropriate.
At what point is it OK to intervene with someone else’s child? This question could lead to an endless debate about what is and is not acceptable behaviour from children, but I think that misses the point.
Sarah Ditum’s article in The Guardian, whilst expressing her disapproval of the incident, concludes by saying, “… there are so many ways of dealing with another person’s child in the act of naughtiness that don’t involve physically attacking them‚ like, say, talking to them gently but firmly.”
True. But I would go further, like, say, talking to their parents. Anyone ever think of that? It’s not like the mother wasn’t there.
And that’s what really gets me. I would always favour talking to the parent first, rather than to their child.
It’s the parent’s job to choose their methods of parenting, of disciplining and limit setting. And it’s the parent’s job to decide what they think are reasonable limits to set. If we disagree with these limits and feel there is a problem then it is surely more appropriate to discuss these with the parent than to take matters into our own hands with their child. The parent is also the one with intimate knowledge of their child, of the sort of language and methods they will and will not respond to, how they’re likely to respond, how they’re likely to be feeling, where their behaviour is coming from in the first place, what has gone before.
And yet so often I find people talk to my child inappropriately. Don’t misunderstand. I do not let my child just run amuck. I don’t think it’s OK for my child to charge round a shop knocking things over and breaking them. Nor, I’m sure, did Angela Cropley. I’m right there, ready to deal with the situation as I see fit, and yet so often it’s taken out of my hands before I have the chance.
And it’s not just issues around behaviour that bug me. It bugs me when people comment to my child on how dirty he is when I don’t mind him getting dirty if he’s having fun, and I don’t want him to be worried about it. It bugs me when people use language like ‘naughty’ and ‘not very nice’ around my child. It bugs me when people try to distract or cheer up my child when he’s crying, or worse, mock or belittle him, when I would rather validate his feelings and let him have a good cry if he needs to.
I recognise that much of the problem for me is that others’ perception or definition of what is bad or normal behaviour are often not on a par with mine. Couple that with the fact that my methods of dealing with behaviour are not on a par with theirs, and the result is, well, lots of difference of opinion, and perhaps I’m over-sensitive about it. But the thing is, I spend a great deal of time biting my tongue or turning a blind eye to parenting methods that I strongly disagree with, and that I often find quite upsetting to witness. Children being smacked, children being left to cry, threatened, bullied, talked down to, disrespected and humiliated. But I say nothing because I don’t feel it’s my place to interfere. So it would be really nice to feel other parents could extend me the same courtesy.
So as well as raising the issue of respect for children, this recent incident of the child being smacked by a shop keeper raises the issue of respect for parents.
Please stop assuming that everyone uses and approves of the same old dated parenting methods. If you want to use them with your child, that’s your business, but my child, my methods are my business. Butt out.
Parenting with Understanding 
Exactly. The mother was there chatting n not keeping an eye on the girl. If someone has to be blamed its the ‘responsible’ adult.
Yes, and if this was the case, then it’s the responsible adult that should be approached, not the child.
In a similar vein my blood pressure rises whenever some adult makes a comment to my 3-yr-old about her *still* sucking a dummy. ‘What’s that thing in your mouth?’ ‘A big girl like you still needs a dummy?’ ‘Can I take your dummy?’ etc etc. Bottom line: mind your own business and stop upsetting my kid!
That’s exactly the sort of thing I’m talking about! Sooo annoying.
So very true, I’ve found in general people’s comments on my parenting this time around (being called earth mother a lot etc!) ok for me to have to listen to, yet if I were to comment on the fact that someone fed their child watered down food from jar and called them lazy, or such it’d be outrageous. I wrote something similar on my blog recently. It was a good place to vent!
Yes, why is it OK the other way around – is it because it’s thought to be OK to comment on something that’s perceived to be in the minority?
And thanks for the mention!
Here here! I never felt so judged as I have as a mother and often wonder if it’s other people’s insecurities playing out!