I had a customer tonight who was berating her 8 year old for buying a hotdog b-day card...

[Gravitycollapse]

He came in on his own, I guess she sent him in, and picked out his own card and brought it out. A few minutes later she came storming in and while waiting in line to return it, she spent the entire time like seriously fucking with this poor child's world. At first I didn't understand what was going on. It was the kind of verbal abuse I might imagine a mother would bestow upon her child if she found out he took her credit card online and went on a shopping spree. Filled with a lot of low voiced shaming and trying to make the child understand the gravity of the situation.

But he didn't steal her credit card. He just bought a hallmark card in the shape of a hot dog; probably because he thought it was cool. And apparently that was unacceptable conduct. I cannot fathom the kind of fucked up world this child suffers through on a daily basis. But I felt very strongly for him throughout the entire experience.

[lovemydog]

1. I hate it when a parent

sexualizes something and then shames the kid with it. Ugggggh!

[mercuryblues]

2. if she

was so concerned that the card had to be perfect she should have gotten out of the car herself and picked it out. Any parent knows that if they want a certain item, they had better not let an 8 year old pick it out.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

3. Nothing makes me angrier than

out of control parenting. No wonder some kids grow up to be bullies, while others become submissive to bullies.

[lunatica]

4. Anyone berating a kid in public should be arrested

That's child abuse. Plain and simple. Humiliating a child in public is abuse. Period. Humiliating an elderly parent in public is abuse. Period. Humiliating a spouse or a friend in public is abuse. If you're going to yell at your kid you'd better make sure it's in the privacy of your home where no one can call the police on you.

[Gravitycollapse]

5. Well that's a tad too far in the opposite direction.

Reprimanding a child needs to be done relatively close in time to whatever was done. I don't agree with screaming at the kid in public but sometimes lessons need to be taught when others are around. Most parents will stop what they're doing and take the child outside where it isn't disruptive to others. But you're still technically in the public eye. And that isn't child abuse.

[lunatica]

7. Now you say the parent was reprimanding yet

you started the OP by saying the parent was berating the child. Perhaps you should pick your words more carefully.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

6. Emotional abuse. Hostile. Passive Aggressive Parenting Behavior.