Something disturbing?

I took the bus today and a woman got on with a young child - he looked about 2 1/2 years old. He was a very happy little soul! He was busy counting his fingers and singing "the wheels on the bus go round and round" and laughing to himself. The thing that disturbed me so much was that the mother kept telling him, repeatedly, to "stop making that stupid noise", "stop moving around" (he was sitting in the stroller), "stop laughing at nothing", "if you don't stop making that stupid noise, I'll smack you" - literally, these are the words she used. She also put her hand over his mouth to physically stop him making any noise - she did that a few times. At one point he asked to sit on her lap - she just said "no way - not a chance". I was getting increasingly disturbed by her behaviour - this child was beautiful, happy, singing - joyful even - and I've never in my life heard a mother to tell her child to stop being happy! My question is, should I have said something to her? What would you have done in this situation? I think if they hadn't been on the bus (i.e. in the privacy of their own home), she would probably have smacked him for being happy.



I have two kids of my own and I know how difficult it is sometimes - but this just seemed quite bizarre to me. What are your thoughts?Something disturbing?
I have been around infant since I was 10 years old. I worked in Wal-Mart for 3 years. As you can imagine, I've seen my fair share of irritated parents. My mother for one was the type of mom who was constantly saying "stop fidgeting" "stop singing out loud" "Do you want me to knock your teeth out" "if you don't stop i'm gonna pull your pants down in front of everyone and beat your ***". Now that I have a kid of my own I strive diligently to not use such terms with my son.

However, I often hear my sister using this type of verbal abuse with her own children. She often spanks them just for doing what little kids do. I think it's wrong. She cusses at them and then when they pick up her languages she spanks them severely. I think a lot of the way that people parent their own children stems from the way they were parented themselves. The way my mom treated her children is the same way my sister treats her children. I for one took parenting classes before the birth of my child as to avoid picking up on that style of parenting which is something I would recommend to anyone who had severe type parents. And you are right, I find it very disturbing.
i would have loved to tell her off for being a worthless mother, but its not your place unless the child is being physically hurt in front of you. I swear, pathetic waste of space mothers like that make me feel as though some people should not be allowed to have children at all.Something disturbing?
I really hate parents like that! The child must be used to it because he didnt really seem to react. Maybe we can only hope and pray that it wasnt his mom, maybe just a babysitter who will soon be fired!!!
OMG!! i wud go up n smack that ladi!!

lol jk



well its really wrong, that a parent doesnt feel happy wen ur child there own blood is happy!! I wudve tlked to her n jsut let her know that wat she was doing was bad!!Something disturbing?
I would tell her to back off!!

i would tell her excuse me mama but, can you [please treat him right!!
That really is disturbing..My cousin in law is some what the same with her children %26amp; yes she hit her children for very stupid reasons but thats why i prefer to avoid her
maybe she was having a bad day. Its hard to tell if you do not know this women and you have observed this just the once. Maybe she was going thru a really hard time.



I would have asked if the child could have sat near me and given her a break. But knowing that she prob would have screamed at me.
unless she actually smacked him i wouldve left it alone
She might have been pissed off at something else which made her in a bad mood, in that case it wouldnt've been a good idea to talk to her. she'd probably shout at you.
i would of said something you just do not tell a kid that to stop being happy
I have seen disturbing things like this in the grocery store. Happy and singing a little song, and the mom tells the child to stop with the racket. Also the other day there was the cutest little boy. His mother had given him one of the free donut samples. After he finished it they were in the check out. He saw the candy and gum and wanted a pack. He was very polite when he asked her showing her one pack, and she told him no put it back because she had already got him a donut. Yet she bought 4 packs of cigarettes. I do not understand some parents.
It might have been a babysitter. But i've been around kids who couldn't stop talking and they weren't doing anything wrong but the constant talk made me crazy. I bit my tongue and felt crazy but still it was there.So it's hard to know what the right thing is to do for a stranger. Maybe if you'd said "that's a lovely song" it might have been enough to save the kids self esteem.
It sounds like she's the type of parent that thinks because she's "MOM" that she can say or do anything to her own child. I would have said something. When she would've told me to mind my own business, I would have told her that by being in public and vocalizing her 'parental rights' she made it my business.



Sometimes pointing out how ridiculous someone is acting can be a rude awakening. That mom needed to feel all eyes on her for her behavior towards her kid
Good example of poor parenting. I have 5th. graders who have parents I would like to kick at times.

Connie Mom of 4 and 5th. Grade Teacher )
sounds serious. I am equally if not more disturbed as you. I have just finished reading a book by a person who used to get abused as a child and it kinda reminds me of this.
I have always been told that if you see something like that u should not say anything. The reason why is that you do not know what this womans reaction would have been. Even though your tone of voice could have conveyed concern for the child, the mother may have looked at it a different way. If possible, what you should have done is called attention to the child, by trying to soothe his crying.
people that ignorant probably wouldnt have listened to you anyway. i wish someone could get through to people like that! honestly i probably wouldnt have said anything. hopefully it was just a bad day : /