VERY lively small boy.

and I thought generally people were becoming more understanding re mental health!

No idea if the mum was just being a negligent, healthy parent or not. But depression can be crippling!

The child's behaviour and its causes is to a certain extent irrelevant. It is the mother's behaviour that is the problem. Whatever she was doing she could have explained, quietly, briefly and if his behaviour worried and possibly scared a completely innocent member of the public that is unacceptable.

Mental illness, mental incapacity are not acceptable excuses for inaction when, potentially, the safety and well being of a member of the public is involved.

It is impossible to know why the child was behaving in that way. If he did have ASD, or another disorder, it may have made it worse to have challenged him.

It may have been a 'socialisation' outing and mother using an 'ignore' strategy etc. advised by Ed Psych.

On the other hand mum may be depressed and unable to cope with conflict.

Or his behaviour could be the result of not having any boundaries set for him by his parents/carers.

Whatever the reason he does not seem to have been a happy child.

I did think that perhaps he may have a condition which might make him behave like this, but the irritation was with the mother who completely ignored him while he did in fact alarm an elderly lady - she must have wondered what on earth was going on and if the door might fly in on her - and if those doors remained undamaged after the battering they took it would be a miracle. Perhaps I should have spoken to her; she made no effort at all and you are right, wildswan, he will be the poorer for not being guided the right way.

I would also have felt like giving the mother a good ticking off. But I also feel desperately sorry for the little boy - he is not going to have a happy life if he is allowed to get off behaving so badly with no respect for anyone else.

It is not the disruptive child that causes the irritation. The irritation is with the parent who makes no attempt to either control or ameliorate their disruptive behaviour.

Meltdowns on the floor?

My son was very lively! And an absolute horror in marks and sparks. Something to do with the lighting or furnishings I think. He is mid thirties now and will not step foot inside a marks and Spencer! It is very hard to understand how difficult a child can be if u have not experienced it.

Hard isn't it? Just the sort of thing our autistic DGS might have done given half a chance because he liked the noise it made.However, we would all have taken him by the arm and left the room. Even children with problems can either be told or removed.

I would have had to say something to the Mother , it`s just not acceptable to behave like that . Would have got my head bitten off but no matter .

Entirely with you Rosina. Even if the child had some learning or other developmental difficulty, his mother could have made some attempt to control his behaviour and/or offered the elderly lady (and you) a brief explanation/apology.

There is a family who come to the church I attend, who have a child of 2 1/2 - 3. They let him run round the church all through the service; up the central aisle, along in front of the seats at the front, down the side aisle along the back, again and again and again. They only retrieve him when he tries the join the priest on the altar. It is distracting. Other parents with children the same age keep them under control. Last weekend the disrupter walked up to one of the other children and tried, several times, to hit her. His parents did nothing.

I expect this is an example of bringing your children up in a peace and love life style, where any negativity is treated as oppressive as advocated by someone on another thread. Or bringing them up without any regard for other people, which is how I would describe it.

Not you - I would feel exactly the same. When parents ignore their children's bad behaviour because they are on their phones or sorting their shopping etc it annoys me so much. So unfair on everyone else