Dear Abby: I saw a mom slap her kid at the store. What should I have done?

DEAR ABBY I was shopping in recent months and encountered a mother who had her two young children in her cart One of them was making a loud noise Related Articles Dear Abby Our father was a terrible person but I still can t get behind my sister s plan Dear Abby He died in my house and I feel so guilty Dear Abby Am I out of line to clean my hosts house Dear Abby The minister s surprise marriage left me hurt and heartbroken Dear Abby Every day he explained he was going to his job but I detected out it was a lie The mother slapped her hard across the face yelling You re not getting what you want so be quiet I felt I should say something but I didn t want the situation to escalate What would an appropriate response be that would show empathy but would also convey that physical abuse is unacceptable MOTHER LOOKING ON IN ARIZONA DEAR MOTHER Empathy for whom the mother or the child Mature parents do not slap their children across the face for acting up They take the kid out of the store until they calm down If this happens in society one can only imagine what goes on in private If I had seen it I would have snapped a picture of the three of them as well as the license plate of the mother s car Then I would overview the woman to child protective services so they could investigate DEAR ABBY During social events and initial greetings I am often questioned What was is your occupation Abby I am retired and have no desire to discuss my past occupation with them Once people know it they automatically place you in a category which might include your financial worth what kind of car you drive what kind of house you live in etc Often this happens so they can one-up you I really don t think these things are anyone s business unless I choose to discuss it with them I prefer to look toward the future and not dwell on the past Although I am grateful for my past employment it does not define who I am in contemporary times Can you please suggest a polite way to answer the question What was is your occupation NOT DEFINED BY MY OCCUPATION DEAR NOT DEFINED No law says you must discuss your past career if you don t wish to Try this the next time you are petitioned that question Say I m retired and I forget from what Or smile and say Work I don t use four-letter words in populace Then ask the asker what they do for a living DEAR ABBY We lent my sister three years ago and she has repaid only a small fraction of it She had promised it would be paid back within six months She has refused to take my calls on the holidays and I haven t spoken to her in a great number of months We used to be very close but now money has come between us I m feeling resentful and I wish this hadn t happened What would you do Abby TOO GENEROUS IN CALIFORNIA Related Articles Asking Eric My friend is doing the wrong thing with her inheritance How do I set her straight Harriette Cole I bought a house in another city but my boss won t let me leave Miss Manners How do I save face after I blew up at this man Dear Abby Our father was a terrible person but I still can t get behind my sister s plan Asking Eric I skipped her birthday because of the fee and she reacted poorly DEAR TOO GENEROUS If I had a signed note from my sister outlining the amount I had loaned her and the terms of repayment and after years had elapsed with no payment and my sister ducking my calls I d call my lawyer Several sort of payment plan demands to be established If she has property perhaps a lien can be placed against it I wish you luck on what is sure to be a bumpy ride P S If you do not have a notarized agreement from your sister you may be learning a very expensive lesson Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren also known as Jeanne Phillips and was founded by her mother Pauline Phillips Contact Dear Abby at www DearAbby com or P O Box Los Angeles CA