re: What's your stance on disciplining kids that aren't yours?

You were probably saying really stupid shite.

Here lies the problem going forward. The kid didn't have any respect for you to begin with, now you've driven a wedged between yourself, him and his mother. His mother disrespected you the whole way home and now the kid has even less respect for you. There is nothing good that will come out of this.

The kid will grow up not liking you very much and will probably kick your arse in about 3-5 years.

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I was over at a neighbor's home, celebrating their birthday. One of my other neighbors has a 15 year old boy. I was talking about an important subject with someone, and the boy kept mocking me. I stopped and looked at him, and then I looked at his mother (as to say are you going to do anything about this?). All she did was laugh about it. After him doing it a few more times, I stopped and told him that if I had talked to an adult like he was doing, my parents would have slapped me in the mouth and beat my arse. His mom got pissed and took him and left. His father died a little over a year ago, and she lets him get away with a lot more than she should. For some reason, I feel convicted to be a male example for him and show him how to be a man.

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Only thing I disagree with was your choice of words. I wouldn't have mentioned what your parents would have done or based it on some kind of "respect for elders" deal. I would have just given it back to him.

I always thought it was a positive if another authority figure put my kids in their place if they were misbehaving when they were outside of my jurisdiction (I understand the mom was present, but still.)

If there's one lesson that EVERY PERSON IN THE WORLD must learn at some point, it's that you must be broken before some sort of authority at some point. Even Bill Gates pays taxes. If you never learn that lesson, then you are in for a long road.

I also wouldn't rush to defend a 15 year old if someone else was needlessly an a-hole to him/her. Another part of growing up is learning to deal with random assholes.

I'm sorry the kid's dad died, but I don't see that as relevant here.

Don't lose any sleep.

I think it's absolutely NECESSARY for someone in your situation to step up and say something if the parents aren't there or not doing their job. This is what's wrong with society today - kids think they don't have to listen to any authority except the parent who can take their cell phone away. Thus the schools have gone to hell.

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That is the problem with this country now, it might be a better place if kids knew they could get their arse spanked at any minute by an authority figure. Unfortunetly now you would probably get sued by the parent for doing it.

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The problem in the world is that you can't hit other adults' kids?

If you people could read you'd know it wasn't the kid and single moms house.
They were just there too.

Op, You did the right thing.
Kids need to learn respect, it doesn't always happen at home.

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You did the right thing honestly. The fact that he was fricking with you gives you the right to say something about it. Now if he was doing something stupid, not involving you, around his mother, it would be more questionable for you to say something

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Good call here.

I have two 4 year olds, so when they're around other kids, playground or whatever, if a kid is doing something "bad" away from my kids and not actually bothering anyone, I'm not doing anything to stop it, just letting it go(unless it's something dangerous)

But if they hit or push or do anything like that to my kid, i'm not gonna cause a scene, but i'll certainly politely tell the kid to not hit/push my kids...if the 1 kid of mine hasn't already hit him back

Funny, slightly on topic story. Took my kids to a splash pad yesterday. Again, my kids are 4, and the average age range is like 2-8. Well there’s these two kids that are probably 12 years old kicking around a soccer ball in the splash pad, and just running around way too fast while around other younger kids. I’m doing the bite my tongue thing, trying to do decide if/when is the time to say something. I have one kid that is totally aloof, just always in his own world, and I was certain one of the 12 year olds would just run him over because he doesn’t pay attention. Well wouldn’t you know, he actually did see them coming, he stops, the 12 year old kid coming pretty fast tries to dodge him, and could only do so by throwing himself out of the way and falling down pretty hard. I got a chuckle out of that one(he was ok), and at least give him a little props for sacrificing himself to save my kid

"Jimmy, stop being a shithead and go play outside by yourself because you have no friends."

thats what you say

I'd have said much worse to both him and his enabling, crappy mom.