I was reading a Twitter post the other day about how offended a fellow preschool educator was when hearing adults use the “F” word in public, around children. She told the staff in a YMCA about it and the offenders were reprimanded.

I immediately thought of the numerous times that I rushed to the aid of a screaming child, at the hands of an abusive parent. The younger the child, the more incensed I become. It doesn’t matter whether it’s in the grocery store aisle, at a department store or Costco. I’m not talking about a child throwing a temper tantrum either. The bottom line is abuse. When a child is clearly being hit, emotionally taunted or talked down to why is it that everyone looks the other way? I just can’t do that.

So, needless to say, I’ve had my share of adults turn their anger and aggression on me. Direct their rage at me, because I have no problem going up to them and saying that their child isn’t property. That when he/she grows up and can’t stand them that this will be the reason why. That they should be reported for child abuse.

Sure, it’s probably because they’ve just been embarrassed in public but did they not have any awareness that their abusive behavior was yelling for attention? Why wasn’t THAT embarrassing? I never got in a fight over it but you can imagine the type of people that would act this way in public ARE the kind of people who would have no problem getting in a fight with an adult.

The last case in point happened Christmas Eve. I had to run to the grocery store for a quick item and was about to get in line. A little boy about 8-9 was standing in front of me with nothing in his hands and the line was moving. So, he did what any polite person would do and told me to go in front of him. I did. As soon as I stepped in front, his mother showed up and started yelling at him. I tried to hold off, I really did. It was Christmas Eve, after all. But when she started mouthing off saying “Did SHE crowd in front of you?” I couldn’t let it go.

I looked right at her, told her I didn’t push my way in and that her child was kind enough to let me go in front. She was livid, her eyes were almost glowing red. She proceeded to ream her child out, asking him why he didn’t listen to her, that she was going to let him have it, etc. I told her to leave him alone, that she wasn’t even in line and he did the right thing. At that moment I saw his face, looking like he was caught in between two worlds. One that saw some value in his little life and the other that was going to provide unending fear for the next 10 years of it. I felt sorry for him.

His mother didn’t like it when I told her she should stop being abusive to him. She felt she was entitled to treat him like trash, he “belonged” to her. That I shouldn’t tell him he did a good thing by NOT listening to his mother. And that if I thought that was abuse, she would show me what real abuse was. All this with slews of onlookers and Christmas carols playing triumphantly in the background.

Anyway, since it was Christmas time, I asked the checker to take her first since she obviously was in a big hurry and might stop being abusive to her child. She went off again. So I checked out. As I left I looked back and gave her one comment: “Merry Christmas”. Too bad she wasn’t listening. I still think about that child…

I’m sure others have had confrontations with people regarding young children. What is it that YOU just can’t tolerate? Any situations that make your skin crawl enough to speak up? Or, an example like the one above that you were a part of? Let me know. I need to know if I’m abnormal or the majority of others are numb.