Do You Step in When a Parent is Screaming at a Kid in Public?
By REDBOOK
Everyone has watched in horror as some fed-up-to-here parent screams at her kids (or worse) in public. But what should you do?
Tread very carefully, says Jed Baker, Ph.D., author of No More Meltdowns. Aggressively confronting an angry parent could make them even more furious-and make things worse for the child.
So keep your tone positive: "A comment like, 'My child gets upset like that too. Any way I can help?' can direct a parent's attention away from the child," Baker says, and snap them out of an escalating pattern. If the parent is being physically violent, don't hesitate to call the police; it can be dangerous to everyone involved to do anything yourself.
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