Parents blog: Disciplining other people’s kids

I try to mind my own business, but every once in a while, I can’t help but say something on the playground when a kid gets pushy or aggressive – especially with other kids.

Even when the child is not my own.

Sometimes the parent isn’t paying attention because he or she is distracted by another child.

But once in a while, I meet parents who simply ignore their child’s bad behavior or brush it off with a simple “Don’t do that,” without actually taking the stick away or making an effort to stop the child’s potentially harmful actions.

On the other side of the coin, I’ve also witnessed other people scold my child. It’s annoying at first, and frankly, a little embarrassing, but in the end, I usually appreciate the fact that they’ve intervened during a moment when I was perhaps too preoccupied or tired to do anything.

A recent poll on Parenting.com asked parents if it was OK to scold other people’s children. Nearly 60 percent of the respondents said “yes.”

What do you think? When you see children misbehave, do you intervene and discipline other people’s children? Or is it better to mind your own business and leave it up to the child’s parents?

– Posted by Virginia de Leon

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