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Many people practice gentle parenting, and while there are definite benefits, it is also clear that it does not work for every child. Some kids respond well to calm guidance and patience, while others push boundaries in ways that go beyond human comprehension. Recently, shoppers at a Target store in Atlanta were left stunned after witnessing a heated moment between a mother and her child escalate into something far more unsettling.
In a TikTok video shared by a shopper inside the store, the child is heard throwing a loud tantrum after their mother refused to buy an item they demanded. “I want it! I want it! I want it!” the child repeatedly shouted as the mother stood her ground and said no. Although it’s unclear exactly what the item was, it sounded like the child called it their “dream car.”
At first, the child’s outburst seemed disruptive and excessive enough to draw people’s attention, but it still didn’t prompt anyone nearby to intervene. That changed, however, when the child made a disturbing comment toward their mother that many felt crossed a serious line.
A Stranger Decides to Step In
After hearing the disturbing remark the child made, the woman who was recording the incident decided she could not remain silent any longer. She approached the child and firmly told them that their behavior was completely unacceptable. “You do not disrespect your mother like that,” the woman said. “That’s insane. Yeah, I’m a stranger talking to you like this. You listen to your mother.”
Since the woman chose not to film the child or the mother, but instead kept the camera on herself, the child’s facial reaction was not shown. However, one thing is certain: the child didn’t speak one word, even as the stranger walked away.
The woman also spoke briefly with the mother, acknowledging that stepping in was not technically her place. “I’m sorry. I know that’s not my job,” she said. The mother thanked her, and the interaction ended there.
Later in the video, the woman expanded on why she felt compelled to intervene for her viewers. She criticized people for taking the gentle parenting route when they should be setting boundaries. “Some of y’all got to bring back the stern voice with your children. Do not let your children run all over you,” she said. “I understand it takes a village. That’s why I did that.”
She also added that her intention was not to shame the parent. “What I am here to say is that you are training little humans up in the world, and that’s a big responsibility,” she said. “How they treat you is the first reflection of how they treat everybody else in the world.”
Viewers Seemed to Agree
In the comments section under her TikTok post, many viewers applauded the woman for stepping in and agreed that it’s important to train the child lest “they become adults who terrorize the earth.”
One person commented, “It takes a village, and people need to step up like you did.” Another said, “It comes to a point where we have to say enough is enough. The kids need a gentle and FIRM hand guiding them.” A third added, “Gentle parenting does not mean no discipline or correction.”
Let’s hope the child learned something that day.
