Let’s discuss assumptions, shall we? We begin with the title…

“How do I discipline my friend’s mean child?”

Right off the bat, the author labels the other child “mean”.

However, her first, introductory sentence reads…

“I had a super uncomfortable situation today (first of many, I’m sure).”

Based on her first experience with something like this, she assumes this is “super uncomfortable.” In turn, I assume the author is some super protected, always gets her way kind of person — who is now, a super protective parent.

We are still in the first paragraph and the author makes another assumption…

“Her parents often let most things go and don’t tend to follow through with consequences.”

How does the author know what happens at the other woman’s home? Maybe that family waits to handle these things when they can discuss it quietly and calmly.

Second paragraph, and according to the author … the little girls says,

“Can I just see it for a minute, I’ll give it right back, I promise! I just want to look at it.” I don’t believe the author, because no 5 year old talks like that. According to the author, her son says, “of course!” (again “Of course” are not a 4-year-old child’s words.)

Then the author tells us that the little girl, “promptly takes the flower and aggressively shreds it an inch from his face just to be nasty.”

Now the author has assumed the little girl’s intentions were “just to be nasty”.

Slapping a label on a child is out of line. Why is a grown woman prosecuting a little girl?

Now that the author has given us all her evidence, that this is a mean little girl with bad parents — she writes…

“I’m so tired of the constant nasty behavior when she thinks she isn’t being supervised.”

What? Hold on. Back up. In the very first paragraph, the author stated “Their little girl is GREAT, however, I’ve noticed some manipulative/bully-like behavior AT TIMES…”

That’s when I stopped trusting the author.

The author continues with her assumptions …

“…presumably embarrassed that her behavior was seen and corrected by another adult.”

The author writes…. “I spoke up and said, “Hey, I’m so sorry if I made her feel upset, I just wanted both of them to know that I was there and that it wasn’t nice as I genuinely want them to continue to respect one another.”

The author sounds like she’s 12 years old.

Next, the author writes…. “I guess I didn’t expect a gentle, “aww that wasn’t nice” to totally throw her into an embarrassing tantrum-like attempt to deflect her own behavior.”

Really? The author is accusing a 5-year old kid of attempting “to deflect her own behavior” — plus she is also accusing the other mother of being so stupid she can’t see through it.

Suddenly, the author asks…. “What do you guys do when you see another kid blatantly disrespect your child…”

Last, but not least the author returns to her sweet and innocent charade, writing….

“if we can’t even call our kids out in a kind, gentle manner to promote kindness and respect, are we even friends?

Again, I don’t trust the author’s version of events. The author has made too many assumptions.