Parenting in Public.

So, I heard a story the other day about some stellar public parenting. It seems this perfect all-american family was eating dinner in a restaurant where some people I know were eating. The family looked like they had stepped out of a magazine. The mother was tall and blonde and the father was tall and strong. The two boys, 4 years and 18months, were healthy and had big blue eyes.

Shortly after being seated the mother started to feed the 18 month old. She took a spoon and shoved it down his throat saying, "you are gonna eat!" The baby cried. A little later she picked up the baby and shook him angrily. The father just looked the other way and continued eating.

The entire restaurant continued as though nothing had happened.

The thing is, if the family is comfortable acting like that in public, what are they doing at home?

What is our place as society in this situation? Shouldn't someone say something? But if they did, wouldn't they have to worry about being judged as judgemental, or hateful, or as butting into someone else's business?

The fact that most people would be disturbed by this activity, and yet also be afraid to say something for fear of how others would react, shows that our society is not primarily concerned with protecting children but with protecting the egos of adults.

This makes me sick.

Mediocrity.

Only the mediocre can always be at their best.

Someone said that, and it is true.