Parent shaming?

I may have the terminology wrong, but when I say "parent shaming" I mean another couple looking down on a parent for disciplining their child in a way they may not approve of. Also, even if it has to be said, yes, abuse is wrong and should be condemned in the strongest term. However, yelling at your child isn't abuse. Especially if your child is about to do something really stupid-like try to enter water that could be filled alligators.

I was at Disney recently-a place famous for children acting up and parents sometimes being at the end of their rope. I saw a child (no, I can't estimate age and I'm terrible with that anyway) about to run to a pond near the hotel we were staying at. The parent yelled at the kid, ran after them, and gave them a slap on the rear. A younger couple near me (strangers to me) saw the interaction and commented to one another that the mother shouldn't have done what she did.

Look, I'm not a parent, but a light slap on the butt to prevent a child from running into a pool of water that might have an alligator in it is not overkill. At all. In fact, hopefully it'll teach that child not to do the same stupid thing again. No, I'm not in favor of spanking, but since I'm not a parent I could never tell you how or what to do in that case. Even if I was a parent, it's not up to me to tell you how to discipline your child. It's not up to you either, to be honest.