I would hope that if I was distracted and my kid did something wrong that the other parent involved in the situation would explain to my kid why it was wrong and bring it to my attention.  Now I won't allow another to spank or holler at my child....thats my job.  But I feel if you explain to the child why its wrong to do what they did you are helping to mold that child in a good way.  And we all know that you as their parent can tell them something and for some reason they don't believe you example the stove is hot and they will go and test the waters at a friends or in others company, but if the other party involved says and explains it then the child won't think mommy and daddy are just saying that.  And this goes for any age.

Absolutely!! Too many parents want to be their kids BFF instead of their parent.  Example, I was having dinner with a friend one evening and her son and my two boys were there as well.  Her son continued to interrupt and stick his game in her face trying to get her attention.  She said nothing, so I did.

Yes kids need to know that even when their parents are not looking they still have to behave. To many kids these days feel they can get away with what ever they want. Now, I will not fuss at a young child and kids will be kids and miss behave but if I feel they should know better, then I will step in and correct them.

This happened to me the other day. I was in a bookstore with my son when another kid just happened to throw a book and it hit him. The mother stood right there and watched the whole thing. She never did a thing about it. My son looked at me and then at this other kid and finally said "Mom, he's so rude. Why did he do that? I know that both the other kid and the mother heard him because they looked right at us. I personally was ready to blow and smack them both. Then I thought if I did that it would be a very bad example to all of us and so I just very loudly said to my son that some people are just rude and don't have a clue to how to act in public. Then both of us walked away. Hopefully, I got the message across.

So often I see parents using the term "PUNISH"  insted of discipline. Do we really want to punish our children, or someone elses? No, we want them to learn. to be disciplined. when you "punish" a child you open up a whole new can of worms. I discipline my children and i will discipline your children if it is nessesary. I will never punish a child. If  a child is being rude and interupting, I will say something. Parent present or not. If you don't like it, learn to discipline your child then.

I have left full, FULL grocery carts at the market because my children would not/could not behave properly out in public. they learned quite quickly that if they act up, we will go home. I also talk with them BEFORE we leave. I say "we are going to be polite and listen while we are out, yes?" and "we will listen to mommy and not thro fits, yes?" they both answer yes. then we establish what will happen if they don't follow thru. which is usually us leaving the store or restaraunt or where ever we happen to be.

so often parents are afraid to apply discipline to their children.

It does take a village to raise a child. If you won't say something to your screaming/fit throwing/hair pulling/hitting/punching/kicking etc child, then I will gladly step up and do/say something!

I have been in situations where another child has hit my kid. What I did was took the child to his home, even if I didn't know where the child lived I would tell the child simply this, either you take me to your mom and dad or I will call the police and have the police bring you home and tell your mom and dad what you did wrong. One parent’s child I did this to thanked me for telling their child just that.

See this little boy threw a huge rock at my oldest son and it hit him in the head. We had to take him to the hospital for stitches and everything. My son even had a severe concussion. So when we got home and seen the little boy who did it and asked where he lived. He told me off in some very colorful words that a 5 year old should not be telling an adult. I used the police scare and sure enough he led me to his house.

I went up to the door and knocked. The boy told me to move, opened the door and ran in closing the door before I could say boo. However; his dad heard my knock and came to the door. I had hospital papers in hand and gave them to the father of the boy. I explained what happened and how my son was accosted and the father asked me, "How would you like to handle this?" I asked him if he would allow me to discipline his son by making him clean my yard of trash and dog poop. The boy's father agreed to it.

I felt bad when I left because I could hear the boy getting a spanking from his dad, but I still put him to work in my yard. I felt that if he was disciplined by his dad the way he was and then had to do exactly what I said he had to do in my yard that maybe he would not do something like that again.

I lived in that area for another five years and did to have another problem with that little boy again. Matter of fact the boy's parents used my method of discipline on him whenever he did wrong. They would take the boy to one of the neighbors’ houses and ask that person what their son could do and why they were asking.

A few years later I went back to the area and they were still living in the same house. Needless to say that little 5 year old boy I met in and unkindly manner was a VERY well behaved young man who showed mounds of respect. And this all went down in an area that we called the ghettoes of MN.

The only person, other than the parent, that should be correcting a child (in front of the parent ) is the childs teacher. Only then if they are in the classroom. Sometimes the Parent doesnt even like that , but in the school environment I as the teacher do it. Children sometimes think when Mom is present that they do not have to follow rules. I have even asked the Parent to step out of the classroom until it is resolved .Otherwise if the Parent is present, they should be the one doing the correcting. I am also a grandmother and I leave the correcting to Mom and Dad. When they are with only me I take care of it, but I never punish... The worst would be a threat to "tell Mom" what happened.

That is a very fine line. Honestly if my child were to hit my best friends child then i would expect them to correct my child accordingly but not to beat them. Take them to the saide and let them know it was wrong and have them sit in time out and make them go appaulogise to their child. I would do the same thing. My brothers kids are little hellians they dont' disiplne their kids what so ever so even though I shouldn't I do disipline them I dont' beat them but I let them know that it was wrong to do that then I stick them in time out. I look at it this way if they have a problem with it oh well becuase I know for a darn fact they would do and say the same thing to my daughter if my daughter was misbehaving.

My brother and his wife were having a baby shower for me when their kids started acting up and misbehaving I took the kids to the side and todl them to knock it off or else they were going to sit in time out. EVeryone sat there with their mouths dropped adn wide eyed looking at me while the parents were doing the same thing and nothing about it. They weren't going to say anything and well being pregnant alot of you know that you really don't have the patience for dealing with parents who won't manage their own kids. So I disiplined them right there. I probably shouldn't have done it but oh well it needed to get done.

I remember one instance in high school.  It was after school and I was in color guard.  The coach brought her little kids and they were running around and being distracting.  When twirling around giant flags, you do not want the kids near by.  One of them was trying to get in the way and I stoped him by holding his shoulders and saying 'no'.  The mother was shocked and even said that she doesn't even do that.  The kid was asking to be hit by the flags (which could cause major damage to someone so small) and the mother didn't even care.  I believe in telling another child 'No, don't do that.'  Especially if the parent wasn't noticing (which happens).  But true disicpline needs to be done by a parent, they know what works best for the child (time out, extra chores, etc).  But it's the part of the other people to let the parent know that some behavior is unacceptable. Not I a 'you're child needs to be punished' tone but a 'just so you know, Billy hit Sue and the children are now afraid of Billy' sort of way.

Do you correct other parents children in front of them? The question is difficult, as my answer depends greatly on details specific to the situation.  I would physically intervene anytime a child’s actions are dangerous to self of others, parents left unconsidered.  With that exception, and away from my own home, I will commonly express a verbal opinion regarding perceived misbehavior in an indirect manner.  Perhaps speak overly loud to my own children about the misbehavior we’ve witnessed, or again offer an overly loud  yet generic and undirected statement like “someone’s going to get hurt.”  If there is any chance I or my children might be bumped or hit by something, a stern “HEY” usually does the trick. 

Within my home, step one usually involves addressing guest misbehavior indirectly by clarifying our expectations/rules to my own child, in the presence of said guest.  Second offence, and someone is likely going home with explanation “We don’t act like that here.”     

I would never directly discipline the child in any form, as this is not my place.  The tables turned, I would be quite upset if someone reprimanded my child. 

a) They do not know my methods/values, and often reprimand in contradiction to what we accept

b) They do not know my child’s personality, and the best way to approach

c) Most parents are bias and side with their own child, rather than working with facts.  (She said, he said evidence) 

For exampe:

Methods/values- I have no problem with my children asking “Why” after receiving a negative response.  This helps them be deep and independent thinkers.  In our home, “Because I said so.” is not a valid reason.  Most don’t agree with this held value, and consider the “why?” response as unacceptable back sass.  We also consider the phrase “shut up” a vulgarity. 

Personality- I have two girls, and though my methods/values are set, I communicate with each of them differently.  Methods used on one will backfire if used again on the other.  In short, you can’t know my kid well enough to even begin making a valid point.  A coach once told me my daughter played well, but was arrogant.  This is his opinion, not fact.  Should he reprimand her for what I consider to be confidence, he is in essence breaking down a value we have instilled in her.  An unintended yet unacceptable result of his ignorance and opinion.

Bias-  I consider myself logical and fact oriented.  I question my children like a cop would a suspect, to ensure I have all facts.  Not opinions, not emotion driven suggestions, facts.  Most parents I know take their own kids at face value, leaving reprimanding my child based on biased results.  I fault my own kids first.  “Why didn’t you explain we don’t throw balls in the house.” or “Were you showing off in front of your friends, and because of that the attitude you displayed Mr. X was less than acceptable ?” 

The perfect action-

My daughter was caught kissing her b-friend goodbye at school bus line.  The Dean noticed and asked “Would your parents find that acceptable?”  Her foolish reply was “Yes.”  .  “Would you like me to call them?” was followed by “Go ahead.”  In truth, we do condone a little smooch.  However we also expect her to follow school rules of no PDA(Public display of affection) and show respect to adults/authority figures.  The Dean ended their conversation, then called me immediately to share his observations.  For many, any action/involvement he took with her directly would have been justified due to the rule bend (school was over) and seeming lack of respect.  Instead, he chose to allow her parents to do the parenting, the perfect action.  My involvement allowed for best outcome possible because I know my child’s personality and the values we taught her.  I was able, without bias,  to discuss the impression she left with her dean.  At the root of it all her actions were not wrong, but rather the reaction she created by her actions.  She simply needed to learn a lesson in human interaction methods, one most adults still fail to grasp.         

It depends.. on whether I know the person, even if I dont still I would like tell him/her not to do such.

Yes I would diff correct anothers child if they were doing something they had no business doing. A few weeks ago some friends came over to our house and their children aren't saints by no means, but still good lads when they want to be. Well, the children started jumpping up and down on our furniture as if they were in a bounce house. I thought OMG is she going to say something or what? So, I gave the mom a few minutes to allow her time to correct her own children.

After about 2 mins. I couldn't take another second I told those children to sit down at once that, that type of behavior belongs outside and not in my house on my furniture and with their shoes on. I believe my friend became a little livid with me, but she didn't pay for my furniture. And I'd rather not have little footprints all over it either.

Some parents are ok with it while others such as my friend get all uptight about it. I'm just not ok with children acting like they have had no upbringing especially when they are in public or at someone's house.

As Sherry. Me stated above, I would never touch anothers child..no way, but I will use a stern voice and let that child/ren know when at my house for example I run the ship. They can sit down play a game, color at the table or go outside.

You know even in public my friends children  can get out of hand and she's still the same way. It's more like they are the parent and she's the child now that I think about it.

with me... personally it depends on how they would handle the situation... If someone went to spank my child I would get mad and most likely hit them back... if they were to yell at my child then I would probably yell back.. I don't think people to do things like that to other peoples kids without permission or something.. but if it a calm voice tone telling them no or what they did wrong or something like that... then I would not mind...

Yes if they where acting bad enough or at my house i would correct them.

I will of the parents are not paying attention to the situation and also it would depend on what the child is doing wrong.