Screaming dad

[Medusa]

And what would he learn from his "Serious classes in parenting" ??
Someone elses interpretation of the right way to parent ???
Generalisations that are shoved down our throats daily by educated idiots who change their minds weekly on how to parent or anything else that suits their view on how others should live their lives ???
Hey, it's his business how he disciplines his own child, not anyone elses.

I agree w/you to a point about it being his business on how he disciplines his kids. Disciplines. Not abuses. As for the parenting class, he may learn some self control himself. He can't very well teach his kid self control if he himself loses it. I think we've probably all lost control at some time but not to that degree. Ask yourself how you'd feel if someone, especially someone much bigger than you, grabbed your face and dragged you off. In public. I'd be humiliated and probably scared to death.

[Cataholic]

I would have said something, too. Abuse is abuse is abuse. No matter what excuse the adult might have had (a bad day, really?????), abuse is abuse is abuse. It should never be tolerated.

[wombat2u2004]

I agree w/you to a point about it being his business on how he disciplines his kids. Disciplines. Not abuses.

But your interpretation of abuse may not be the same as his.
After all, he is the childs father, and probably the kid was a real work of art. It's not as if the father picked the child up and started bashing him on the wall or something like that.
Being a bit heavy handed with some kids is sometimes the only answer.

[Medusa]

One of the most difficult lessons I've had to learn in life as an adult is to act and not react. The father reacted to his child's bad behavior rather than acting as an adult and calmly but firmly removing him from the scene until he calmed down. I do understand what you mean, though, Wom, about our interpretation of abuse. I got spanked as a child. Today that's considered abuse, though I don't see it that way. I do hope, however, that grabbing your kid's face is never acceptable "discipline".

[wombat2u2004]

One of the most difficult lessons I've had to learn in life as an adult is to act and not react. The father reacted to his child's bad behavior rather than acting as an adult and calmly but firmly removing him from the scene until he calmed down. I do understand what you mean, though, Wom, about our interpretation of abuse. I got spanked as a child. Today that's considered abuse, though I don't see it that way. I do hope, however, that grabbing your kid's face is never acceptable "discipline".

I used to get spanked to, and my father used to say to me how lucky I was, because he used to cop it with a horse switch. My father was raised right in his opinion, and I was raised right in my opinion. I can look back now and say "Yeah, I was a real little creep and deserved what I got."
So, really what is abuse ??? Was my father abused ?? Was I abused ??? Were you abused with your spankings ??? They answer in my opinion is no. But in others opinions it may be yes.
So what is really happening in this day and age ??? We obviously have become softer in our approach to disciplinary punishment, and we have replaced that with counselling and parenting classes ??? Do you believe that the children now become better adults because of this ??? I don't believe so.
Children need to be disciplined and taught the right direction in life.
The old saying "Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind" is what works.

[moosmom]

Pomtzu,

Take a picture with your phone of the abuse is a great idea!!!! Then show the dumb@$$ parents the picture and tell them if the abuse doesn't stop, it's going straight to the authorities. I like that!!!!!

[Queen of Poop]

I'd say whip out the cell phone, take a video and let it go viral. Then dad can deal with the fallout of his actions.

[Medusa]

I used to get spanked to, and my father used to say to me how lucky I was, because he used to cop it with a horse switch. My father was raised right in his opinion, and I was raised right in my opinion. I can look back now and say "Yeah, I was a real little creep and deserved what I got."
So, really what is abuse ??? Was my father abused ?? Was I abused ??? Were you abused with your spankings ??? They answer in my opinion is no. But in others opinions it may be yes.
So what is really happening in this day and age ??? We obviously have become softer in our approach to disciplinary punishment, and we have replaced that with counselling and parenting classes ??? Do you believe that the children now become better adults because of this ??? I don't believe so.
Children need to be disciplined and taught the right direction in life.
The old saying "Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind" is what works.

I can't say that I disagree w/all you've said in this post, Wom. We have become too soft in our approach to discipline but I don't think that going in the opposite direction is the answer either. Moderation is the key for me. As for parenting classes, I said that rather tongue-in-cheek. I think that the time to take those classes, if ever, if BEFORE you have kids, not after.

[moosmom]

I was threatened with a good beating if I didn't stay on the straight and narrow. That was WAY back in the 50's and 60's...LONG before kids could call DCF on their parents. Nowadays you even LOOK at a kid wrong, they can call DCF.

The one thing I've always said was children need to come with instructions. My Dad's philosopy was that when I grew up and had kids of my own, I'd understand WHY he did what he did. Yeah, right.

[Cataholic]

Spanking a young child on the bottom is a far cry from using a whip, grabbing a child by his/her face, and 'beating'. There is discipline and there is abuse. The OP saw it, and made a determination as to what camp she placed it. Frankly, that is good enough for me.

I wouldn't grab my animal by his/her face, I wouldn't take a stick, a whip or any other instrument to my animal's body, WHY is it appropriate to do so to a C.H.I.L.D.

To coin a phrase I heard elsewhere, "When we know better, we do better".

"All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing". Edmund Burke.