"Mean Mom" jailed

[Lace Neil Singer]

I notice it's the people who were physically disciplined coming to her defense. "It worked for me, and the problem is kids aren't being treated badly like I was" sounds more like being envious of kids not being treated roughly, like you were a child.

Actually, no. I'm in no way envious of the spoiled brats I see around; I pity them, cuz one day they will be adults and have to make their way in the real world. Cuz their parents are not giving them the tools they require to survive, their path will be a rocky one.

For the record, my parents stopped physical punishment once I and my brothers were old enough to understand non physical punishments; such as being grounded, not having pocket money, being given extra chores etc. Toddlers and very small children live in the present and don't understand the consequences of their actions unless correction is given straight away.

A two year old would be bewildered at not being allowed to watch Bob the Builder; he wouldn't remember that the punishment was given half a day ago cuz he threw a tantrum in the supermarket. Whereas a ten year old banned from watching a favourite programme will certainly remember what he did wrong, and probably make an effort not to repeat the offence.

[Greenday]

I'd like to point out that I, along with most of my friends, were never physically punished and we all turned out to be the best kids in my high school class. None of us are troublemakers. We generally respect authority as they deserve it. So it's completely possible to raise kids without physically punishing them.

[BroomJockey]

So it's completely possible to raise kids without physically punishing them.

Kids are all different. Some don't respond to anything else. I'm not advocating whoopin' a kid who doesn't listen, but I'm also not going to cry abuse at a quick spank or a mom dragging her kid a few feet unless I get a *lot* more detail.

[DesignFox]

Different types of punishment work for different children. I don't judge people who don't hit their kids, just as I don't judge people who do.

I'm not advocating abuse. I'm saying that you need to do what is right for your kids without fear of repercussion from nosy busy-bodies. And the hugest problem with kids is that they can get away with murder because people who don't know shit about the situation go and instantly call the cops or scream "abuse." Kids quickly learn that they can just throw a fit and get what they want because there won't be any consequences for their actions.

I'm sick of it. This is not the first, nor I'm sure the last story I'll hear of a kid getting into trouble, getting punished, etc. and the parents or authority or victim getting blamed or arrested over it.

[Greenday]

I guess I've been to instilled with how the justice system should work. She was found guilty by a judge so most likely she was guilty.

[BroomJockey]

She was found guilty by a judge so most likely she was guilty.

Found a more recent article, and didn't share? Shame on you.

The 37-year-old woman has yet to go to trial for the charge, but she is getting pummeled in the court of public opinion.

[Cat]

I was never physically punished, my 'rents more or less were spineless (mainly because they were unable to deal with my bro's....."issues," but that isn't relevant here)

I've seen the video a few times, the mother might have been stupid for dragging the kid, but I don't see abuse either.

[Greenday]

Found a more recent article, and didn't share? Shame on you.

I was under the impression to go to prison you have to be found guilty of a crime.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Actually no; ever hear of remand?

Dammit; where the hell is Crazylegs when we need him?

[Tanasi]

I was under the impression to go to prison you have to be found guilty of a crime.

Don't you know that jails and prisons are full of innocent folks???

[BroomJockey]

I was under the impression to go to prison you have to be found guilty of a crime.

Prison, yes, jail, no. You go to jail when you're in the "drunk tank," for pete's sake. If it's a child abuse case, they'd probably not grant bail. Thus you sit in jail until your trial is over.

[Flyndaran]

...
A two year old would be bewildered at not being allowed to watch Bob the Builder; he wouldn't remember that the punishment was given half a day ago cuz he threw a tantrum in the supermarket. Whereas a ten year old banned from watching a favourite programme will certainly remember what he did wrong, and probably make an effort not to repeat the offence.

Normal 2 year olds aren't brain damaged. Maybe my brothers and I were unusual, but we had functional memories from 6 months on.

[BroomJockey]

Maybe my brothers and I were unusual, but we had functional memories from 6 months on.

That's incredibly unusual. Doctors say long term memory doesn't really start to form before 3 years of age.

[Flyndaran]

That's incredibly unusual. Doctors say long term memory doesn't really start to form before 3 years of age.

There's long term, and then there's looong term. I don't remember deatails from when I was two now. But at two I certainly could predict likely outcomes from past experiences.
At around two months I figured out that crying got parents to come to me. I would cry, wait a moment to hear if someone was coming. If not, then I would cry again. My mother refused to believe I could do that until an uncle proved it to her. I also made jokes when I only knew a couple of words.

[DGoddess]

Oh, I thought it was because society usually refuses to blow the whistle on that kind of thing. Most people want someone to do something about it, they just don't want to do it themselves. This time someone stood up for what they believed.

IMO if the woman who videotaped it was really concerned, she would have not have taped it but instead been trying to pick the child up and call the mother out on her behavior.

It sounds to me as if the woman w/the phone cam just wanted her 15 minutes worth of fame.

As for the Mom, I think felony abuse is way too extreme. I heard today more details on this on HLN and she's saying she's suffering from lupus and pneumonia. Experts had come on and said that if she were really as sick as she says she is, not only would she not have had the physical strength to pick up her child, dragging him along would have been extremely difficult to do.

But dragging a child along who refuses to cooperate and is acting in bratty fashion (as the reports are claiming - the child was acting up in the vehicle after removing his seatbelt while Mom was still driving apparently) . . . years ago she might have been able to get away with it more. Nowadays if you even attempt to correct a child, there's that risk of being accused of abuse.

A better approach IMO would have been if she had simply taken the child straight home and dealt with him there.