Suckey mother/customer, gerat offspring

[Reyneth]

I know that if I take my kids out, within the first two stores, they're just starving and dying of thirst. It's entirely possible that the mother knew that the flower would only keep her kid's attention for a little bit, but that at the next stop the kid was going to be asking for a drink again.

But the little girl used her own money (or most of it) for the flower. Or would have used it for the soda. So it was her money, her decision to make. It would have been different if the SC mom had said "here's a dollar, go get us a soda since you've been asking for a drink."

[KellyHabersham]

We had a few people selling these poppies outside the grocery store when I was on my lunch break today, totally reminded me of this post.

[Andara Bledin]

ok the little girl made me cry, not that its hard to make me cry, i cry watching casper the friendly ghost, but god she was the sweetest little thing on earth, mommy was evil

Heh, you too? Give a commercial 30 seconds of heartwarming, and I tear right up.

Yeah, that mom's reaction was way over the top. The reasonable way to deal with that would be to take the kid aside later and explain why her action was "not mother approved" and not just flip out in the doorway.

I always buy a Poppy when I see them, too. Other people fighting so I don't have to is more than a good enough reason for me.

^-.-^

[Seshat]

Actually, I'm worried she'll learn that lesson, minus the last two words... as in "It's not good to donate."
<snip>
If I'd been her parent I would've told her she did a very good thing, bought one of my own to reinforce the example, then bought her a soda as well.

You may look after my niece and nephew any time, JustADude. That's precisely how I (and my brother) would hope to react to such an event.