Then of course this is this story from L.A. today: a mother decided to discipline her children after she caught then engaging in larceny/theft! (theft is a very serious offense and a crime of moral turpitude).

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2016/06/24/woman-who-spanked-her-children-with-belt-after-she-caught-them-stealing-gets-arrested-and-sets-off-firestorm-of-debate/

Now SHE is the one in prison!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe try next time to help another parent/grandparent with the door. She had her hands full, literally.

+1

+100. Help with the door before you report people to CPS.

So while we've established that technically there isn't much we can do, I would have said, "Wow! Maybe you've had a really frustrating day with them but that was an awfully hard slap on a very tiny child. Please consider getting some help with your anger before you hurt her." Maybe she won't care but maybe, just maybe in the recesses of her mind she will think about it. Especially the next time she's tempered to hit the child.

Anonymous wrote:how come if i slap someone else's child, i am a child abuser and go to jail, but if i slap my own child, it is okay? what if i slap someone else's child after they did something unruly, to discipline them? why does one's status as parent mean you have a license to engage in otherwise illegal conduct against children? it makes no sense.

You will be shocked to learn that corporal punishment is legal in many school districts around the country. Both good ones and bad ones.

how come if i slap someone else's child, i am a child abuser and go to jail, but if i slap my own child, it is okay? what if i slap someone else's child after they did something unruly, to discipline them? why does one's status as parent mean you have a license to engage in otherwise illegal conduct against children? it makes no sense.

Anonymous wrote:Maybe try next time to help another parent/grandparent with the door. She had her hands full, literally.

+1