I am so sad

[OnAMission]

This morning we were pulling into the parking lot, and I saw a mom just going at it on a little boy of 6 or 7. :troubled :bheart

She had his wrist and was just hitting him over and over with all her strength while he struggled to get away.

His brother (I assume) was standing nearby looking sad and embarrassed. I was so sad for all of them And I so wished I could help somehow, but I couldn't think of anything I could do besides pray for them. Is there anything I could do if I see it again? I just keep seeing the scene over and over in my head. And I'm in tears just thinking about it. :bheart :pray4

I feel so helpless. I wish there was a way I could have stepped in to give the mom a chance to calm down and for the little boys to not have to be hurt... to let them all have a do over, even just for this morning.

[LearningMama]

:(

[Sparrow]

I think in that experience trying to help when a mom is that angry could make it worse later for a child.

Where I live that is reportable. I'd take down the plate and report it TBH. Not to get her into trouble, but maybe she is really struggling and needs help.

[phathui5]

Going up and saying "Do you need help?" (to the mom) could interrupt the beating.

[sunflowermom]

:bheart

I'm so sorry. I would also take the license plate number and report. It's so hard to see that type of situation.

[OnAMission]

Going up and saying "Do you need help?" (to the mom) could interrupt the beating.

I thought about doing that, but I was concerned about what would happen to the child behind closed doors later. :bheart plus I had my own four kids with me.

I think getting the license plate and calling would probably be the best bet. I looked up the Texas definition of abuse, and I'm pretty sure this would fall under "beating", though it was with an open hand and very much looked like a (thorough and over-the-top) spanking which probably is legal here, sadly. :troubled

[Joyanne]

What if you called the police and told them someone was beating their child in the parking lot??

Record it on your phone and then call the police??

In Christ,
Joy

[beansmama]

I probably would have blown my horn for a while at her to distract and stop her. Not look directly at her though. When I am in public, I ask them "excuse me, do you know what time it is?" at a level they can hear, and that usually stops and distracts them and lets them know they are in public. Some people lose it and forget themselves.

[RaisingRoyalty]

I really don't think that reporting the mother is going to help in the long term.

She obviously parents this way and believes it is necessary or acceptable and she probably doesn't know any better. That is probably how she was raised herself.

How about interrupting her and pointing out that she should not be behaving that way in public and then secondly, tell her that you know a more effective way to discipline children and would like to tell her more about it?

Then you would have to have a card or tract or something handy to give her to contact you by.

There are a lot of desparate parents out there that don't actually know how to effectively parent their children. We should see them as a mission-field and be prepared and equipped with materials to offer them an alternative.

[ThreeKids]

It's legal in Texas and physically intervening could put you in jail and this is also a person who has shown she's willing to use violence to win her point. There are risks, but that makes intervening that much more heroic.

[OnAMission]

I found it really sad because other than prayer, I'm not sure there's a whole lot I can do... I don't have a relationship to model another way (which is what it would take), intervening in the moment might make it stop, but given what she was willing to do in public, I can only imagine what goes on in private. Unlike a government agency, I cannot follow through with checks and more information to help the family. It really is a one-time deal. And, frankly, what she was doing is probably legal in Texas :troubled

All that to say, I think of them often, and pray that God would work in all of their hearts. A new peace and gentleness in the mom, forgiveness and strength for the boys, and that God would bring people into their lives that would model and encourage them to have healthier relationships.

ETA: I really like the blow the horn and ask some sort of neutral question idea!

[kiloyd]

That is horrible! :cry

Hitting over and over is beating! Those poor poor children.

[BarefootBetsy]

I don't know what I would do :( Maybe offer help?

[JessicaGhig]

As a child who grew up in this sort of family, I can say that causing embarrassment to the mom by saying anything would have likely resulted in much, much worse for the poor child once they got home. If she is willing to do that in public then it's likely 10x worse in private.

[Elyse221]

As a child who grew up in this sort of family, I can say that causing embarrassment to the mom by saying anything would have likely resulted in much, much worse for the poor child once they got home. If she is willing to do that in public then it's likely 10x worse in private.

I think this is a good point. The child may be blamed for "making" the parent hit them and making them look bad, causing more abuse. It's so hard to know what to do. I nearly have panic attacks when I witness these things.

[tessiemae]

I grew up in a family like this.

I sometimes wished and wished that someone would call the police.

All of these years later, I remember the face of a little, old lady in the grocery store watching us, looking into my eyes, and crying. That she saw and understood gave me so much hope to just hang on.

I would call the police. :(

peace,
tessiemae