AITA for Criticizing a Mothers Parenting Skills?

AITA for confronting a mother about her kids' behavior at work? Opinions are divided on whether the blunt approach was justified or too harsh.

Damjan

Published in Interesting
25 Dec 2025

AITA for Criticizing a Mothers Parenting Skills?

In a world where parenting styles often come under scrutiny, one Reddit user finds themselves at the center of a heated debate after confronting a mother about her children's unruly behavior in a grocery store. The original poster (OP) shares their experience working at a store where chaos frequently ensues when a particular mother brings her kids, who often run rampant, knocking over items and ignoring her pleas for control.

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After witnessing this pattern for several weeks, OP felt compelled to step in and approached the mother, asking her to manage her children's behavior. However, their request was met with defensiveness, leading to a heated exchange where OP called the mother "pathetic" for relying on her teenage daughter to maintain order.

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This confrontation sparked a flurry of emotions, leaving OP questioning whether their choice of words crossed a line. As the community weighs in on whether OP's actions were justified or out of line, the discussion opens up broader questions about parenting, accountability, and the role of bystanders in public spaces.

Was OP justified in their frustration, or did they overstep boundaries? Join the conversation and share your thoughts!

Original Post

I know that from the title I already sound bad but please read first. I still currently think I'm TA tbh.

(Ik everyone mentioned here's age,due to that fact that this lady is friends with one of my coworkers) I work at a grocery store in the middle of 2 towns.(They literally just merge) Every Sunday a lady comes in with her son and usually one of her daughters. Her kids are usually running and skipping all over the place, Knocking stuff down.

She usually doesn't tell them to stop and when she does they ignore her. She started bringing in her oldest daughter.

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Anytime the oldest is with them the kids listen,they walk and don't usually knock stuff down. And if they do she has them pick it up.

The mother and her kids came in without the oldest. The kids were running around so I went up to the lady and asked her to please control her kids.

She said she was and that I should mind my own business. I was so fed up and here's where I'm TA.

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I told her that she obviously wasn't,and that it was pathetic that her teenage daughter controlled them better than she did. She stormed off calling me an AH and a nosy B***h.

I genuinely do think that I was TA but I don't regret it tbh. So AITA?

Should I have worded it more kindly?