Did I do something wrong with this kid?

[Lady Heather]

It's Saturday at the mall. Typical X-Mass shopping herds. This Mom came in with 5 kids. The kids split up to diffrent parts of the store, Mom is left with only the baby in the stroler. As I'm walking around I see the 3/4 year old boy with one of our displays. The display is a fighter pilot guy and he fires a little machine gun, it spins with a joy stick pull the triger and he fires the gun. The boy is holding it by the joystick not the base and he's aiming and fireing. The joystick will break if you do that. I walked up to him and said "Give it to me." He handed it to me I walked up front and put it back. No bigie happens all the time, mostly with kids that aren't being watched by their parents. About 5 min. later the Mom comes up to the register with kid in tow. She asks my name I give it to her. I didn't relize it was her kid intill she turned to go and I relized she looks pissed. I just asked for the toy so he wouldn't break it. I do it all the time. Was I out of line?

[CreepyCarrie]

I don't think you were out of line. The problem is that some of today's parents seem to think that Junior should be able to play with whatever he wants in public places, and if he breaks it "Oh well, get over it, he's just a kid." And it's not like you yelled at him or something, you politely asked for him to stop. Mom shouldn't have any reason to be pissed.

[ArenaBoy]

Nope. A sensible parent would remind their child not to play with things that aren't theirs. An idiot parent would do not only that, but whine about their kid being an "angel."

[jb17kx]

I would perhaps question your somewhat-brusque "Give it to me", but otherwise you were well within your rights.

[Shabo]

Then again... it's not like you made the kid cry. Stupid mom.

[Boozy]

Oh my. A three or four year-old child is far too young to be left unattended, especially in a busy store at the mall during Christmas time.

The mother should be grateful that the worse that happened is an employee taking a toy away from her son. She should also be thankful that you did so before he broke it and forced her to pay for it.

[workerbee222]

Adam walsh was six, I think, when someone walked out of a store with him and murdered him..

Stupid mom.

[Jester]

Adam walsh was six, I think, when someone walked out of a store with him and murdered him.

And while he is the most famous example of such things, he is by far not the only one.

[dizzy_starshine]

And while he is the most famous example of such things, he is by far not the only one.

Jamie Bulger was 3 when he was taken and murdered after leaving his mothers side for a second.

[Shabo]

Leashes for children. No, it's really not child abuse.

[blas]

How dare you tell mommy's precious angel what to do! How DARE you be looking out for the good of your store and prevent broken/worthless merchandise. How DARE you make mommy look bad!

/sarcasm off.

You were not in the wrong. Maybe the day she gets in the van and only counts 4 heads, maybe the wheels will start turning in her pea brain.

[Raieth]

Leashes for children. No, it's really not child abuse.

We had to put a harness with a padlock on my brother so he wouldn't disappear on us.

[bainsidhe]

If a kid is acting up, mouthing off, or doing something he/she shouldn't be doing, I say you're well within your rights to discipline if mommy/daddy isn't around. You're not smacking the kid or screaming in an uncontrollable fury. You did a very common-sense adult thing. To heck with mommy if she is upset. Used to be one would think nothing of disciplining someone else's children in public, now there is the ever-present fear of offending someone or coming across as "mean". Pfft.

[Terry]

There are some parents that don't like other adults telling their kids what to do. This was one of them.

[wagegoth]

Leashes for children. No, it's really not child abuse.

I had some teenage girl say, "How mean," to her friends while nodding at me one day at the mall, when I had my then toddler in one of those harnesses with a leash.

I said, "I have a handle on my purse so I can hold onto it, and my son is a lot more important to me than my purse." She got the look, and her friends started giggling while they rushed off.