wow this got pretty hot and heavy.,. good subject and lots of good and differing answers.

"kids! cannot live with them" Cannot deep freeze them till they are ready for college"

It would be a mistake for you to lash out physically at a stranger. I know I wouldn't hesitate to do what was necessary to subude some hysterical parent. 

I have a very high threshold of pain when it comes to out of control kids. I have 2 small children with another on the way. I am quite familiary with problematic children.  But if I'm at an outting of some kind and children are behaving in a completely out of control manner to where they are physically disruptive to me, I would have no hesistancy to grab one by the arm and tell them to be careful or to sit down.  And if the mother, at that point, decided to discover her parenting expertise and make a fuss I would be more than happy to discuss it. And if she went beyond that, that would be her mistake.

I don't care what other parents do or don't do with their kids unless their not doing anything affects me or my family.  It's as simple as that. Your rights end where mine begins.  Your child's rights end where my child's rights begin. And so forth.  If a parent is allowing their kid to run around being unruly and that child ends up physically disrupting what me or my family is doing, I'm going to step in.

If it's the case Mason was in where the out of control children physically bumped into him or at a movie theater where the child is kicking the chair or on an airplane, where the kid is pushing on your chair from behind there are various levels (non-physical) in which the adult should feel free to intervene.

I'm sorry Tova but from what you are saying all I can say is "Well BOO HOO."

IF you can't control your kids, remove them from the scene. Otherwise people will be annoyed.  Your story about antagonizing the lady who asked your child (who by your own admission was far enough away in which you could not even hear what they were saying to your child) to play somewhere else and ending in you intentionally trying to annoy "the bitch" does not make you look good. Kids learn from their parents.

Other people have problems as well but they deal with them. A child whining or being bratty is one thing. A public temper tantrum or behaving in such a way in which they are physically disrupting the activities of others requires responsible parents to take effective action.

I know you from your other writings and blogs so I know you're a fine person and I'm sure a wonderful parent. But when you keep saying "Well not everyone can do X" and then you personally present an example of you behaving in a malicious manner it certainly gives the impression (to me anyway) that perhaps the reason you may have problems with your kids is that they have seen you be malicious and find that acceptable behavior.

IF my child actually physically touches another adult then yes, the adult has the right to respond within an approriate range.  If you were to respond by physically attacking the adult, you would be the one committing assault.  Like I said, it's a mistake to just lash out randomly.

Are you suggesting that Mason didn't have self control here? He didn't beat the child. We are not talking about hurting a child. We are talking about physically restraining an out of control child due to the parent's negligence.  Your threat of "the police would be involved" would be laughable if you attacked the person back.   You never know when the person you are attacking could not only subudue you physically but has the legal resources to ruin you. 

That is why you are better off A) keeping your children under control or If you can't control your children then controlling yourself if an adult is forced by your negligence to subdue the child would be necessary.

We are not talking about some adult harming a child. We are talking about an adult restraining an out of control child.

I only have what you have said in your story. 

So first: yes, you obviously care what people think because you are objecting to people being annoyed with parents who can't control their children.

Secondly, we are not talking about whether the lady was right or wrong for complaining about your child. We are talking about you doing something to intentionally annoy the adult. That's malice.

Well if I may be so bold, it sounds like your son is learning life skills that will one day put him into the position of having to be making excuses of why he can't control his own children in public.  My children aren't any more naturally mild than anyone else's.  But we strive to teach them personal discipline so that they have the life skills to be successful adults.  I would say that the single most important thing my mom taught me as a child was to control myself. 

If you want to stand by and delude yourself into thinking that your child could physically harm someone else (even on accident) without the victim being able to so much grab the child by the arm and tell them to knock it off then that's your business. 

And in the case we're talking about, your safety and well being when you tried to "kick ass" on the person would likely be dependent on how much restraint the person you attacked chose to show.  One can almost imagine some hysterical mother attacking MasonM. Sorry but he'd take you apart if he wanted to without having to set down his drink. And I can assure you he wouldn't get arrested.

I find it incredible that you find it easier to physically attack an adult than to simply control your own children from harming others.  Because that is what you seem to be saying. 

I never said it was a reflex. However it was defensive. Sorry, you dont get to pass go on this one.

And no, it is not accidental when it is an out of control child.

And finally there was no combat. restraint is not combat. It was touching only, and then to prevent further collisions. He did not swat, kick, punch, judo chop, or pinch the child. He restrained them. And note he did not say he marched over to the child, which indicates the child was within arms reach. Sorry Tova, I am as protective as you, and have been in a situation where there was none restraintive touching of a child. I am happy to say no one went to jail for assualt and battery, but one parent never showed their face around that neighborhood again.

...like a truck stop you mean?

So you really are defending the kind of poor parenting that results in these out of control children?  That the child really can do no wrong, I mean sure, it's wrong if the children are running around screaming, knocking things over, bouncing into adults and disuprting the place but hey, maybe they've had a bad day? Maybe they're hyperactive? But it's only wrong philisophically.  But the other adults, THEY are the ones who have a problem if they object to this? They should just not go into public places IF they have no problem restraining a child who has just bounced into them?