The cheating is over, but the hurting continues
-- Wondering
Dear Wondering: Yes, these parents should have removed the child, taken him to a quiet place, and hung out with him until he had calmed down. If necessary, they should have reluctantly taken him home.
It is hard to be 3 years old. Children this age are so busy that they can become overwhelmed and exhausted, and yet they lack the language to describe how they are feeling. Transitioning from active playing to sitting still at a crowded dinner might have simply been too much for the little guy.
Ideally, parents intervene before a breakdown happens -- but parenting is not an exact science. The only perfect parents are people like you, who don't have children.
Dear Amy: I'm responding to the letter from "Formerly Terrible," the man who admitted to -- and then sought forgiveness for -- being a bully in high school.
I felt for the guy, but I also noticed that his entire question was all about him. What about the people he hurt?
-- Upset
Dear Upset: I thought "Formerly" was focused on the right things: how he could admit his actions, make amends and possibly repair these relationships.
He can't do these things without some intense self-focus.
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(You can contact Amy Dickinson via email: askamy@amydickinson.com. Readers may send postal mail to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or "like" her on Facebook.)
