Children learn what they live
By Laura Brady
Oakland Tribune, June 22, 2001

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Child Abuse

This is regarding the young woman who was jaywalking with her 3-year-old across Broadway in front of the Paramount Theater June 8.

The daughter lost her shoe in the median strip and caused a delay. An AC Transit bus waited while the mother replaced the child's shoe and finished crossing to where the car was parked.

The mother was obviously angry with her child for this incident and was abusive to her. I and several others nearby noticed the mother yank the child by the arm and yell at her. When the child tried to tell her mother that her shoe wasn't tied, the mother just yelled at her, "Shut up, I don't care."

I felt so sad witnessing the whole exchange. This wouldn't have happened at all if they had used the crosswalk, but the mother punished her baby because she couldn't run fast enough to keep up, and because navigating the raised median made her slip and lose a shoe.

The child asked for help with her problem and was turned down flat. She was met with "I don't care."

We hear people speak carelessly and hurtfully to their kids constantly in public. I wish these folks could hear themselves and hear the arbitrary, immature and intolerant behavior they are modeling for their children. It's no wonder some teen-agers are so disrespectful to adults. They were probably reared around adults who were just as disrespectful to them when they were young children.

Children learn what they live.

Laura Brady
Oakland

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