if another mother yelled at your child, what would you do?

I took the kids to our local Gymboree today and while I was inquiring about birthday party packages, I hear Lil J say in a stern voice, "NO!  That's MY baby!".  I turned around to hear another mother start to chastise my kid in a rude tone {and borderline yelling}, "I know but you almost knocked her down!".  Usually I'm pretty quick with comebacks and am surprised that I just stood there silently while the mother turned around and continued to yell at her own two boys {all while Lil J probably give her the death stare, I'm sure}.  I'm going to blame this cold that knocked me out of my socks last night and is making me feeling like sh*t today.  Pretty much looked and felt like a zombie from The Night of the Living Dead all damn day.  So much so that after she left, I completely forgot about the incident and watched Lil J and Baby Z entertain themselves and each other in the little Gymboree gym.

I mean, this smile would make anyone happy:

And this kid is such a charmer, I can hardly stay mad at him for any long period of time:

We had a grand 'ol time at Gymboree and came home without any incidents.  It wasn't until I was laying in bed with Lil J tonight, waiting for him to fall asleep, that I started thinking about that woman and how she talked my son.  A complete stranger's child.

I'm guessing - and only guessing, since my back was turned - that Lil J had gotten a little too excited with Baby Z and was touching her car seat, which I had put on a couch/chair {it was secure}.  The woman may have touched the car seat to make sure it didn't fall and Lil J went into instant defense mode, understandably so.  Did that warrant such a rude tone from the woman to my son?  It was as if she was offended by Lil J's comment - as if it had come from an adult.  I also noticed that she was in a full-on rage with her own two sons the second I walked through the door.  Maybe Lil J's comment just pushed her over the edge.  A comment from a 3 1/2 year old.  A comment from an overprotective big brother watching over his little sister.  This is almost making me laugh thinking about it.

And to think I smiled at her when we first walked into the gym {and all I got was a blank stare}.

What would you have said if someone talked to your child in a rude manner, when your child didn't do anything to warrant it?  Should an adult ever talk to a young child this way?