Kids can be really mean. I'm talking about my kid, your kid, your neighbor's kid -- all kids. But they're also KIDS, and when parents take it upon themselves to discipline every individual in the world who hurts their child's feelings, well, most of us know how that's going to work out.
Rebecca Carranza-Molina, 44, and Jose Aldred Molina, 56, obviously love their 13-year-old child very much and feel incredibly protective of him. They want to shelter him from the pain in the world so badly that they're willing to risk going to jail for their son's feelings. The couple has been arrested and face child endangerment and false imprisonment charges for kidnapping a 13-year-old boy who made their son cry. They allegedly kept him at their home until he agreed to apologize to their child.
Now maybe you've read so many stories about bullies not getting what they deserve that you're thinking, Good for them! Perhaps it's extreme behavior, but at least someone has the cojones to make a mean kid take responsibility for his actions.
Um, but that's just crazy talk. Really. Because these parents have lived on the planet 31 and 43 years longer than the teen and -- more importantly -- they aren't HIS parents!
So this is what happened: the couple's son and his buddy were snapping towels at one another by the Sacramento River. No biggie. Kids -- and especially boys -- play like this all of the time. The friend accidentally snapped their son a little too hard and he began to cry.
The teen's mom was there and witnessed what was going on. She reportedly hit the boy, took his bike away, left the park to get her husband, then RETURNED to chase the boy, grab him, and force him into their car.
Totally insane.
A stranger saw what was happening and called police -- thank goodness.
Look, I don't think what happened between the boys sounds like a thing at all, but let's assume something even more serious went on and it called for the kid's parents to say or do something. This is what she should have done: verbally correct the other child's behavior -- and while she was at it, correct her son for playing a game that could get him hurt to begin with -- and then call his mother and let her handle it.
And if she didn't handle it the way the mom saw fit, well, join the club. There's little else we can do as parents but advise our own children to stay away from Child X.
I once knew a boy whose dad went ballistic on some young teens who egged his house on Halloween. He actually caught one of the kids and made him remove his T-shirt and clean his house with it. This happened a few years ago, and I'm pretty sure he would be arrested today for this behavior.
A good rule of thumb here: if our response as parents borders on something our tweens would love to do, chances are it isn't a rational or responsible way to handle a situation with someone else's child. When in doubt, tell the kid's parent what went on and leave yourself out of the equation.
How do you react and respond when other kids hurt your child -- physically or emotionally?
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