Anonymous
Post 09/26/2025 11:43     Subject: Was I out of line at the grocery store with a shrieking toddler?

Agree that the OP was out of line speaking to a very young child without the parent's permission.

OP, you could be accused of engaging in child abuse whether or not it is justified. If you cannot tolerate normal distractions of everyday life, then schedule your visits to the grocery store late at night when very young kids are at home sleeping.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2025 11:38     Subject: Was I out of line at the grocery store with a shrieking toddler?

Anonymous wrote:OP can you also follow me for a day and tell people off for not using earbuds? I’m so sick of people watching videos on full blast on their phones or having loud speakerphone conversations indoors.


OP wouldn't say anything to an adult so she cannot help you.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2025 11:14     Subject: Was I out of line at the grocery store with a shrieking toddler?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I will be honest and sound crazy but if you mess with my kid- especially in that pseudo condescending Karen way you did- I would consider clocking you. I wouldn’t do it, but it evokes an extremely strong response in many women. You were wrong.

Hitting a stranger because you're a sh*t parent is bizarre.


I didn’t say I’d hit her. I said I’d want to. Very different things. Op doesn’t know what’s going on with that mom or child. She should mind her own business. You do not mess with someone’s child


So who cares what you imagined you would do in your small mind if you weren't such a coward? If you're this scared of people then teach your children how to behave in public then you don't have to imagine doing anything.


No one is scared of anything. I’m merely explaining how strong maternal instinct is. It is not rational and it knows almost no bounds. This is why women have been found to suddenly have the strength to lift cars off their children to save them. You don’t have to like it, but I’m trying to make you understand that the instinct to protect one’s own child is incredibly primitive and instinctive. Obviously when rational thought comes through, I wouldn’t clock op. But there would be a millisecond that my amygdala would want to rush to defend my child.


You wouldn’t be defending your kid, you’d be flipping your shit in defense of your ego and poor parenting.

I’ve never done what OP did, but it’s fine by me. Most kids, including mine, are good in public, even with SNs, like mine, because of how we parent. When people step in, you’ve fd up and you know it.

Enjoy the weekend, OP!


Plus a million.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2025 11:12     Subject: Was I out of line at the grocery store with a shrieking toddler?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I will be honest and sound crazy but if you mess with my kid- especially in that pseudo condescending Karen way you did- I would consider clocking you. I wouldn’t do it, but it evokes an extremely strong response in many women. You were wrong.

Hitting a stranger because you're a sh*t parent is bizarre.


I didn’t say I’d hit her. I said I’d want to. Very different things. Op doesn’t know what’s going on with that mom or child. She should mind her own business. You do not mess with someone’s child


So who cares what you imagined you would do in your small mind if you weren't such a coward? If you're this scared of people then teach your children how to behave in public then you don't have to imagine doing anything.


No one is scared of anything. I’m merely explaining how strong maternal instinct is. It is not rational and it knows almost no bounds. This is why women have been found to suddenly have the strength to lift cars off their children to save them. You don’t have to like it, but I’m trying to make you understand that the instinct to protect one’s own child is incredibly primitive and instinctive. Obviously when rational thought comes through, I wouldn’t clock op. But there would be a millisecond that my amygdala would want to rush to defend my child.


You wouldn’t be defending your kid, you’d be flipping your shit in defense of your ego and poor parenting.

I’ve never done what OP did, but it’s fine by me. Most kids, including mine, are good in public, even with SNs, like mine, because of how we parent. When people step in, you’ve fd up and you know it.

Enjoy the weekend, OP!
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2025 08:33     Subject: Was I out of line at the grocery store with a shrieking toddler?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:don't ever address someone's toddler directly without speaking to the parent. that is incredibly bizarre social etiquette


It's really, really not!


DP here. If you don't want anyone to ever speak to your toddler, I suggest you leave them at home. I am ES teacher and have no trouble talking to children in public in an age appropriate way.


Do you scold them?
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2025 08:17     Subject: Was I out of line at the grocery store with a shrieking toddler?

Never confront crazy because you look crazy
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2025 07:37     Subject: Was I out of line at the grocery store with a shrieking toddler?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I will be honest and sound crazy but if you mess with my kid- especially in that pseudo condescending Karen way you did- I would consider clocking you. I wouldn’t do it, but it evokes an extremely strong response in many women. You were wrong.


She spoke to a child. You should be prepared for people to address your child each and every time you leave the house with them. Your child is just a person; they are not off-limits. Sometimes they will say nice things, other times not, based on your child’s behavior. Train them accordingly.


The people bleating about this situation and how "wrong" OP was can't seem to connect the dots. On the one hand they think they understand societal norms, but on the other they are blatantly violating them.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2025 07:30     Subject: Was I out of line at the grocery store with a shrieking toddler?

Anonymous wrote:I will be honest and sound crazy but if you mess with my kid- especially in that pseudo condescending Karen way you did- I would consider clocking you. I wouldn’t do it, but it evokes an extremely strong response in many women. You were wrong.


She spoke to a child. You should be prepared for people to address your child each and every time you leave the house with them. Your child is just a person; they are not off-limits. Sometimes they will say nice things, other times not, based on your child’s behavior. Train them accordingly.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2025 07:28     Subject: Was I out of line at the grocery store with a shrieking toddler?

Anonymous wrote:I guarantee the Karen OP would not do this to a black woman


Why do you assume she didn’t
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2025 07:15     Subject: Was I out of line at the grocery store with a shrieking toddler?

Anonymous wrote:I guarantee the Karen OP would not do this to a black woman


Why would she need to? I thought it was only non-POC children who ever act up or have lazy parents?
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2025 05:48     Subject: Was I out of line at the grocery store with a shrieking toddler?

I guarantee the Karen OP would not do this to a black woman
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2025 05:47     Subject: Was I out of line at the grocery store with a shrieking toddler?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:No way am I going into public prepared to get on a soapbox or correct people’s behavior. Unless there is abuse going on, I’m moving right along and staying in my lane.

In general, I think strangers should mind their own business. It’s not a great idea to antagonize or criticize people you don’t know at the grocery store, even if they are annoying.


This is how normal people act.

Op is a psycho and there’s like two or three psychos hyper posting to pretend that this is normal.

One is severely autistic.


Truth can we shut the thread down now
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2025 02:34     Subject: Was I out of line at the grocery store with a shrieking toddler?

Could you show up at the McDonald’s we go to and say something to the guy that listens to his podcast on his phone at full volume?
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2025 01:59     Subject: Was I out of line at the grocery store with a shrieking toddler?

You are all good OP. Thanks for your service.
Anonymous
Post 09/25/2025 22:47     Subject: Re:Was I out of line at the grocery store with a shrieking toddler?

I would have been tempted to say something but likely wouldn’t as I don’t particularly like being confrontational to strangers.

However if I had a strong inclination that day - - I may have simply spoken to the child’s Mother re: the shrieking vs. the child.

You did nothing wrong by approaching the child > it just may have been better had you spoken directly to the little girl’s Mother instead.

Also it is not your fault that the child cried after you spoke to her.

I personally think it was the Mother’s inherent responsibility to keep her child’s shrieking low as not to disturb the other shoppers.