DP and I were talking about it last night.

You get disapproving looks and comments in supermarkets if your child is throwing a tantrum and screaming the place down. You hear comments like 'in my day, I would have gotten a kick up the bum for that.'

Then the same people also look disapprovingly when you are trying to sort the screaming child out, whether it is a small smack or some firm words, or dragging them along by the arm while you juggle a baby in another.

I've never been in either situation, as I had perfect toddlers (they were suppressed with mental problems and I'd rather them be horrible brats out of the house ie, normal children, than be the way they were) but I saw it over and over again with quite distressed mothers. I felt so sorry for them, all the way being tut-tutted for whatever way they went.

Obviously there are extremes and bad parents that are very harsh on their kids and say and do horrible things, but there also are alot of frustrated mums at their wits end.