Saw something disturbing at Montgomery Mall yesterday.

[Anonymous]

I don't think calling CPS or taking down license plate numbers and calling the police are the right things to do. We can't have the police and CPS acting as society -- that's our job. Society is us. But most people are more interested in posting breathlessly on DCUM and calling CPS than they are in stepping up and actually being a valuable member of society. Owning a big house and cutting your grass in perfect lines is not enough to consider yourself a good member of society, people.

I already posted, but I would have gone up to the grandmother and said "It's okay" to her and the little girl a bunch of times. This does generally work. I've intervened many, many times, even between adults when one seemed to be in danger. It usually de-escalates and helps to intervene. I have never had a situation spiral out of control. This is Montgomery Mall for christ's sake.

If you are willing to pass the buck on to the police and CPS, then you don't earn the righteous indignation you are positing here.

[Anonymous]

It isn't okay though. Don't teach these lunatics it is okay to hit children. It's okay?? What a bunch of shit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It isn't okay though. Don't teach these lunatics it is okay to hit children. It's okay?? What a bunch of shit.

of all the idiotic posts on this thread, this one is the most idiotic. She's not telling anyone hitting is ok. She's just saying all be be all right, calm down. It's ok is another way of saying calm down without actually saying it because we all know telling someone to calm down has the opposite effect. But then if you had life experience outside the Internet, you'd know that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It isn't okay though. Don't teach these lunatics it is okay to hit children. It's okay?? What a bunch of shit.

of all the idiotic posts on this thread, this one is the most idiotic. She's not telling anyone hitting is ok. She's just saying all be be all right, calm down. It's ok is another way of saying calm down without actually saying it because we all know telling someone to calm down has the opposite effect. But then if you had life experience outside the Internet, you'd know that.

Saying it's okay and then leaving without doing anything else isn't helpful. A 2 year old doesn't need to be told it's okay. I would ask the child if she's okay and then tell the granny quietly that it was inappropriate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It isn't okay though. Don't teach these lunatics it is okay to hit children. It's okay?? What a bunch of shit.

of all the idiotic posts on this thread, this one is the most idiotic. She's not telling anyone hitting is ok. She's just saying all be be all right, calm down. It's ok is another way of saying calm down without actually saying it because we all know telling someone to calm down has the opposite effect. But then if you had life experience outside the Internet, you'd know that.

Saying it's okay and then leaving without doing anything else isn't helpful. A 2 year old doesn't need to be told it's okay. I would ask the child if she's okay and then tell the granny quietly that it was inappropriate.

Did you read PP's post? She said she would say It's OK to the grandmother and the child, to defuse the situation. Defusing the situation is helpful, criticizing the grandmother is probably not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It isn't okay though. Don't teach these lunatics it is okay to hit children. It's okay?? What a bunch of shit.

of all the idiotic posts on this thread, this one is the most idiotic. She's not telling anyone hitting is ok. She's just saying all be be all right, calm down. It's ok is another way of saying calm down without actually saying it because we all know telling someone to calm down has the opposite effect. But then if you had life experience outside the Internet, you'd know that.

Saying it's okay and then leaving without doing anything else isn't helpful. A 2 year old doesn't need to be told it's okay. I would ask the child if she's okay and then tell the granny quietly that it was inappropriate.

Did you read PP's post? She said she would say It's OK to the grandmother and the child, to defuse the situation. Defusing the situation is helpful, criticizing the grandmother is probably not.

I did read it. A 2 year old doesn't need to hear "it's okay" though. Wording.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It isn't okay though. Don't teach these lunatics it is okay to hit children. It's okay?? What a bunch of shit.

of all the idiotic posts on this thread, this one is the most idiotic. She's not telling anyone hitting is ok. She's just saying all be be all right, calm down. It's ok is another way of saying calm down without actually saying it because we all know telling someone to calm down has the opposite effect. But then if you had life experience outside the Internet, you'd know that.

Saying it's okay and then leaving without doing anything else isn't helpful. A 2 year old doesn't need to be told it's okay. I would ask the child if she's okay and then tell the granny quietly that it was inappropriate.

Oh, yeah, that will be received well.

[Anonymous]

Didn't read the thread, but of you were close enough you could run over to help with the door and say "you look like you've had a rough day. Can I help you out to the car?" And try to get a feel for whether the woman calms down outside the heat of the moment.

[Anonymous]

Christ this thread has gone OFF THE RAILS!

OP made a huge assumption, and everyone is getting sucked into the Vortex of her assumptions and perceptions.

[Anonymous]

I would have walked over and said: "boy, you have your hands full. Can I help you get everyone to the car (or wherever you are going)?

I would hope that this would diffuse the situation and give me a better chance to assess the severity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't slap my kids, but I really don't think this is CPS worthy.

If slapping a 2 year old in the face in public isn't CPS worthy, what is?

A lot worse happens to many kids. A lot worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't slap my kids, but I really don't think this is CPS worthy.

If slapping a 2 year old in the face in public isn't CPS worthy, what is?

A lot worse happens to many kids. A lot worse.

There is always something worse. Doesn't mean something bad shouldn't be reported. It isn't a contest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't slap my kids, but I really don't think this is CPS worthy.

If slapping a 2 year old in the face in public isn't CPS worthy, what is?

A lot worse happens to many kids. A lot worse.

+1 A slap is not a CPS worthy investigation. As PP stated, there are sooo many worse things that grownups do to kids that are indeed cps worthy. CPS has enough horrible child abuse cases (think pliers, burns, belts, sexual abuse, etc..). I really don't think we should divert CPS' attention to a kid who was slapped, as cringe worthy as it may be to some of us.

[Anonymous]

If my 2 year old caused a baby to get hurt because of not listening, I would paint his barn door red. Nuff said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It isn't okay though. Don't teach these lunatics it is okay to hit children. It's okay?? What a bunch of shit.

What? "It's okay" is essentially saying, "Calm down."