Good heavens! What did she think she could accomplish? (Something I would have asked her point blank and then told to her to mind her own business)
Yes, in my first example, "Jonny" was about 3 or 4 and had been exposed to some bad influences at a preschool we soon thereafter quit attending. There were a couple of kids there I wouldn't have taken out in public if they'd been mine!
Totally undisciplined little boys, one of whom belonged to the director. Church preschool, at that.
Second example, dealing with the problem at home hadn't worked. "Jenny" was 6 (first grade) I had been very, very patient. Checked more than once to be certain she was getting her lunches and snacks. We did the whole sending to the room thing every afternoon. Nada. No TV for the afternoon. Nada. Even followed through with a promised spanking a time or two. That would fix things for a day or two and then she'd be back at it. Whatever it was, it was a Jenny problem and it wasn't getting better. I don't like to spank at the start with and the prospect of handing one out every afternoon just wasn't going to cut it. I don't know what gave me the inspiration for dealing with it right at that moment but that was the end of a problem that had been going on literally since school had begun.
Yes, it meant a spanking in public, but better that than a child who believes a parent is powerless outside the house. It was also better than listening to constant wailing every afternoon for 20 minutes while we picked up the other two kids.