Kids behaving badly (in public)

[Kitsa]

I'm not exactly sure of the kid's age, I'm just estimating from babysitting/au pair experience. He was a little guy who was just at that stage where he's stomprunning like hell and laughing all the way. I'd say maybe 2, 2 1/2.

I think that the abandoned child thing was never thought of because the mother...physically, at least...was there. Why she chose to ignore him, I'm not sure. She seemed very practiced at tuning him out. She seemed like the kind of mom who would forget him at a gas station, realize it 50 miles down the road, shrug and keep driving.

I'm not saying she should have beaten the kid. I'm saying she should have KEPT HOLD of the kid and told him to stay with her, don't run away, be good, stop that. Even a pregnant woman in (what looked like) her late forties can overpower a 2 year old.

[Zhukov]

Is it illegal to hit your child in the US? It's not here, not yet anyway, and I honestly think it can be a positive thing if used correctly.

My dad used to hit my sister and I probably to levels that would register child abuse now, but it certainly kept us in line. The main form was a clip around the ear, or a slap across the cheek for mistakes, but if you did something wrong on purpose you were taken out to the cow shed and taken to with a leather strap.

I don't think levels like that are necessary to teach discipline, but until children reach a certain age where you have taught them to understand the meaning of right and wrong, a small, non damaging (bruises show up to social services ) whack across the thighs or something can certainly teach a child that whatever they did was wrong. How are you meant to reason with a two year old that throwing papers around and yelling is wrong, if not giving them an deterrent that they can understand?

I'm sure everyone has seen situations where there is some pathetic mother begging with her child to stop rampaging and to be good. I think a firm hand, both literally and figuratively is needed to curb this blight that is menacing our American way of l... uh. I think it can be used effectively.