Man slaps stranger's crying baby

chaylizi

Wed, Sep 02 2009, 7:09 pm

http://www.ajc.com/news/gwinne......html

If that was my kid (ch"v) & my dh was there, he would have been arrested for manslaughter or something similar. Although, I'm not entirely sure that I might not have had a totally violent reaction to someone slapping my kid. What do you think?

Atali

Wed, Sep 02 2009, 7:18 pm

I probably would have started screaming for help.

I would not have tried to hurt the guy (but would have tried to pull away my child) because I know that given my lack of physical strength he would have the potential to seriously hurt me, which wouldn't be good for either of us. Hopefully if I would scream a man would come and grab the guy.

frumamn

Wed, Sep 02 2009, 7:21 pm

Funny this story should come up today. I was in Michael's yesterday and there was a woman there with three kids, 2 big ones and one around 3. The little one started screaming because her mother wouldn't buy her something. They continued shopping like nothing was going on!! The kid wasn't crying, she was screaming, a shrill, annoying, every three seconds kind of scream that sounded like she does this often and then gets her way. I was at the point of telling the mother that she needed to leave, a couple of people mumbled that they'd "like to slap the kid" and the cashier eventually went up to them and told them they need to leave until the kid calms down. I can't say I blame the old man in the link OP posted. Not that I C"V agree at all with his actions, but I can understand his frustrations perfectly!

chaylizi

Wed, Sep 02 2009, 7:31 pm

That's part of being an adult. You have to be responsible for your actions, regardless of how wrong the other party is. You can't say- yeah he's wrong, but the mother deserved it. The child certainly didn't & she can't go anywhere without her mother taking her.

mynameismom

Wed, Sep 02 2009, 7:46 pm

Quote:

If that was my kid (ch"v) & my dh was there, he would have been arrested for manslaughter or something similar. Although, I'm not entirely sure that I might not have had a totally violent reaction to someone slapping my kid. What do you think?

If this had Chas vsholom happened to me I would also have to be taken away in handcuffs. I wouldnt hesitate to act, No jury would convict me of injuring a man who is assaulting my child Twisted Evil

frumamn

Wed, Sep 02 2009, 7:48 pm

Just clarifying, I absolutely think the guy should be charged with a felony!! I just feel his frustration, is all. No way in the world is there an excuse to slap someone elses kid for crying!!

WriterMom

Wed, Sep 02 2009, 8:04 pm

frumamn wrote:

Just clarifying, I absolutely think the guy should be charged with a felony!! I just feel his frustration, is all. No way in the world is there an excuse to slap someone elses kid for crying!!

Don't worry, I for one was pretty sure you were not condoning it!

What do you do when it's your own kid you want to wallop?

One of my sons was once throwing a shrieking fit. Like fire alarm pitch and volume. We were in the checkout line at the grocery store, and it was the week's big shop - I couldn't handle walking away and coming back another time and doing it all over again. And this middle aged guy in line said "can't you make him be quiet?"

I really wish I'd said "If I could make him be quiet, do you not think I'd do it? Do you think I ENJOY my child doing this in public, and annoying everyone in the massive supermarket?"

Now when I see someone else's kid being a monster, I'm a) glad it's not my kid and my problem and b) a tiny bit glad I'm not the only one this happens to!

frumamn

Wed, Sep 02 2009, 8:10 pm

WriteMom, I've taken a wogonload of groceries to the customer service desk, asked them to keep an eye on it for a few minues, taken an out of control kid out of the store and come back to pay once the kid calmed down. It ridiculously frustrating to waste that time, but changing the situation works with almost any kid almost every time. I also keep a tiny bottle of bubbles in my purse and blowing bubles at a kids face usually stops the tears for a few minutes, either out of shock or out of amusement.

WriterMom

Wed, Sep 02 2009, 8:13 pm

Frumamn - that's a really good idea. And good for you for thinking so rationally in the moment!

My husband has a trick he claimed he learned from a book about disciplining dogs and cats - if they're shrieking so much that they can't even hear you, you're supposed to blow on their face, and that apparently shocks them out of the tantrum. He says it works. I haven't gotten it to work with the kids or the cats ...

But anyway, that tactic - leave the full cart with customer service - is a great one. I bet the store would rather do that than have to reshelve an abandoned cartful, too!

campmommy

Thu, Sep 03 2009, 12:50 pm

I once had someone slap my child on the head on an airplane. Obviously I couldn't leave and neither could she walk to another isle. I was so shocked, I didn't do a thing. But honestly, do you think it helped? It just made him cry harder. The stewardess kept coming over and asking me to quiet him down. We had already tried everything, it was so frustrating. The worst was that business class was EMPTY and DARK and I knew he was crying because he was overtired, but they wouldn't dare let me step foot in there. "I'm sorry ma'am, you have to pay more for those seats" were their exact words. So the nightmare continued instead!

Alef Bais

Thu, Sep 03 2009, 4:54 pm

I once had a man threaten to call the police on me if I didn't get my then-3-month-old baby to stop crying. We were on a subway train coming home from Manhattan and I had just a few stops to go. He started ranting and raving and what could I do but ignore him? Fortunately for me, a frum man was also on the train and stood guard and spoke up for me that I have every right to be there like he did. My baby didn't take bottles and hated pacifiers and I was not about to nurse in public like that. It was a harrowing experience.