Bad Mom or Bad Kid?

A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine related an experience she had at a local grocery store parking lot. She witnessed a mom-child altercation that left her wondering how to address another parent’s questionable actions.

The son, about 6, refused to get out of the grocery cart. The mom, after cajoling him for several minutes, began to get angry. The son refused to vacate the cart. The mom finally said, “Fine. You can stay there.” She got in her car and began to drive out of the parking lot.

The little boy, frightened by that point, leaped out of the cart and ran after his mom, who stopped the car and let him in.

My friend was appalled at the mom’s actions, and many people she related the story to were angry, too. They suggested calling the police, Child and Family Services—any authority that would remove the child from an abusive situation.

Others thought the mom’s actions, although extreme, were understandable when she was at the end of her parenting tether.

So here’s the Question of the Week: Was the mom “the bad guy”? How would you handle the situation if you witnessed it? Have you ever been in that situation?