Good Parenting or Bad Parenting

Canada
April 4, 2012 2:33am CST
I was working in the bakery and there were 4 people lining up to buy bread. I heard terrible crying and screaming, it turned out that a little girl was yelling and hitting her mother for no apparent reason, but the mother just ignore her daughter and was still lining up to order. Finally, I helped the mother and she ordered the French bread sliced. Her daughter screams and cries was louder than the bread slicer. After they left the bakery, my coworker said to her customer, "Boy, we can have peace and quiet again." Her customer replied, "That mother gonna have trouble when her daughter grow up if she doesn't discipline her daughter now." Another customer said that the daughter was hitting and yelling at the mother when they came to the store, but the mother just let her do that. Then the customer said, " Kids needs to be disciplined or they'll turn out to be bratty kids with no discipline!" If I was that mother, I would just forget buying bread and I would just tend to my crying child, since my child is way more important. After seeing and hearing that, I was worried because of my 4 year old son turning into a spoiled brat just like that girl. So I always tried to be strict when discipling my son. I don't believe in spanking or hitting my son because I don't want to hurt him. Does anybody have effective ways to discipling kids??
2 people like this
6 responses
• Valdosta, Georgia
4 Apr 12
Sounds like terrible parenting to me. That child should have been dealt with. And I would have smacked the child just one swat for them to know its done, this is unacceptable. I do believe in discipline. I have three kids and they all know when my serious face is on they better stop. Parenting is NOT a joke. The parents need to be the boss, NOT the children. I don't agree with you on the spanking thing but I will not go there right now. Other ways of discipline you could try if you need to are time outs, taking priveleges away or taking toys away but you really have to do it not just threaten it and not do it. I have 3 very well behaved children and I have never hurt them.
1 person likes this
• United States
4 Apr 12
I don't do the spanking thing really either. But as far s time outs and so forth,the mother was in the bakery what all could she have done besides get her bread,go home and deal with the problem there ...By going out to your car dealing with you child(there is no time out there either) and taking her back in risking another fit is just prolonging this...why not do your business add take you and your child home?.. I don't think she was in a situation were she could really do anything,besides threaten discipline to her child even so I would do that bent down whispering in there ear..No need to draw more attention to myself by screaming at the child who is already screaming..
• Valdosta, Georgia
6 Apr 12
@mikeyswife I was not talking about time out in the bakery, obviously. This discussion starter asked what other ways of discipline are there besides spanking so I told them. Nothing to do with the bakery at all... I would not have screamed either. I would have whispered my threat as well but here is the difference...my children know I mean business and the fit would have been done. They would have stopped immediately because I come through with my threats and I am consistent with my parenting... My kids know who the boss is and its definitely not them!!
• Canada
5 Apr 12
True, parenting is no joke, I always have serious face on me when dealing with my son's unwanted behaviors. Many times, I will tell him that there are things he can decide for himself but there are things that he must do.
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
4 Apr 12
Hi Kat, I read in a magazine, if the child is so demanding and tend to cry unnecessary (some kids fall in floor) to get something he/she wanted the best method is handle the situation ignore the child, as the child is doing the same to get attention. If nobody there to care the act, child does feel himself/herself there is no point to continuing the act and stop it. It is another method of teaching discipline by not hurting the child physically. But I doubt if the children do this in a public place, how it is effective. We must do something to make the child quiet. We can’t do nuisance to public. It also gathers a bad name for the parent among the public. There are several methods to teach discipline to the kids by not hurting them physically. But the parents should have patience to do this.
• Canada
5 Apr 12
I agree with you Sreekala, I usually just ignore the unnecessary crying, but sometimes that is hard to do, especially if the crying affects other people. Parenting does require a lot of patience.
1 person likes this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
16 Apr 12
Hello Kat, Thank you so much for the BR. I just seen in my profil,e you have awarded me the BR. I haven't received any notification from Mylot regarding the BR.
@cutepenguin (6431)
• Canada
4 Apr 12
I think that you can't really tell from just one incident. most days my son is very well behaved and doesn't have tantrums. If he did throw a tantrum because he wanted to go home or because he wanted to buy something that I didn't think we needed, I would probably do what that mother did - ignore it. I wouldn't want to reward behaviour like that with attention beyond a few words saying that he needs to cooperate and I understand he's frustrated.
• India
5 Apr 12
Hello friend, It is true my friend. I also agree with you. Have a nice day.
• United States
4 Apr 12
I absolutely would have taken care of the situation with my child before entering the store BUT if it began in the store while I was ordering my bred I WOULD NOT leave the store.I of course would apologize to anyone who was in the store,get my bread and go... I do not believe in disciplining your child in public if you MUST go into the closest bathroom and handle your business..I do not know many times i have seen kids getting smacked in the face by parents in the store if not in the face on the head..That s*** p***** me off to no extent.. I totally understand why she did not reach down and spank her child in front of all the people in the shop...It is WAY to easy to get your child taken away or to be put under Investigation because someone disagrees with how you handle your child and wants to call and turn it in... I will say,as kids get older embarrassment Could work in your favor when disciplining your child but still I dont agree with disciplining your kids in public.
@bhonti (1246)
• Philippines
4 Apr 12
Parents should really teach their children good attitude and behavior. They must discipline their child in a way that kid, at a young mind will understand the value or importance of having the right attitude. Parents should be patient enough to explain why there are things that they must not do and what things they are allowed to do.
• United States
4 Apr 12
I agree, explaining things to your kids as clearly as possible helps them see that rules are not just there to place restrictions on them but have a purpose. Simply just "laying down the rules" will often have kids questioning them and rebelling if they see no real reason for them.
• India
5 Apr 12
Hello friend, I think it is a bad parenting. Have a nice day.