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I agree with Shani that a parent should not allow their child to go on and on in a public space without attempting to quiet them. It is very frustrating and annoying to hear a child screaming or crying uncontrollably while you look over and see the parent continuing to shop and doing NOTHING about it. It's both irresponsible parenting and rude. Young children (and sometimes not so young) sometimes cry or throw temper tantrums to relieve stress and it's ok to tolerate it - to a point. When it goes on past a reasonable amount of time and the parent is doing nothing to teach the child that it is inappropriate behavior - well, I don't blame anyone for being judgmental about it. It's never too early to encourage an awareness of respectful public behavior.
That said, I'm not of the mind that slapping anyone, particularly a child, particularly a toddler, is ever an appropriate response in any situation. If anything, it betrays a lack of discipline and self-control rivalled, perhaps, only by the ravings of an out-of-control child in a Walmart.
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Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce
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