Today at the Hall of Science, this thick, one-year-old bruiser pounded his meaty palms on a ledge just below The Boss’s face. Without making a move towards the boy, his mother gushed, “Oh, he can be aggressive sometimes.”
I took my cue from the Dog Whisperer and led The Boss away without saying anything. But all I could think was, “Lady, if your kid hits my kid, then I’m going to hit you. That’s how it’ll play out.”
Teaching a child to behave is about preventing an offensive act, not making excuses for it. Permissive parenting benefits no one, least of all the child.