A trip to a Palm Coast park turned into a teaching moment after a local mother, identified on Facebook as Sasha Pack, witnessed a young boy hitting other children and throwing rocks and mulch without any adult stepping in.
Pack shared her experience in the Palm Coast Moms Facebook group, explaining that she watched a boy who appeared to be around five years old running through the park, hitting random kids, and throwing objects at them.
She said she could not find the child’s parent anywhere nearby, which left her confused about how a caregiver could allow that kind of behavior to continue unchecked.
“I don’t understand as a parent how you can watch this happening to your own child and not find the kid’s parent and say something,” Pack wrote in her post.
Rather than ignore the situation, Pack approached the boy directly. She said she calmly and kindly told him not to hit or throw things because it was not nice, then walked away.
Her post quickly drew attention from other parents in the group, many of whom agreed that speaking up was the right move.
Other Parents Weigh In on Supervision Issues
The post sparked a wave of comments from other members of the group, many sharing similar frustrations about unsupervised children at local parks.
Pack added in the comments that there had reportedly been serious bullying at the same park the day before, pointing to what she described as a “not my monkey, not my circus” mentality among some parents who fail to keep an eye on their kids in public spaces.
Lauren Barkoskie responded to Pack, saying it has gotten to the point with some children that you have to say something or ask around to find a parent because the behavior simply does not stop on its own.
Samantha Tillman agreed, stating that if she witnessed a child about to put their hands on another kid, she would step in immediately, even if that meant a more direct approach.
Oh yeah I would have to wait and find his mother cause I have a 2 yr old son and I was at the splash pad with him yesterday and I watch him like a hawk and he was the one being a bully so I was on his butt quick and removed him before he had a chance to put his hands on the other child and he went and sat out for a few minutes! It’s NVR ok and I will not allow my child to hit or bulky just like I wouldn’t let another child out his hands on mine!! I would have had to find the mama asap
A user going by SincereTurtle4632 placed the blame squarely on parenting, writing that some parents believe their children can do no wrong in their eyes, which allows poor behavior to continue without consequence.
Crystal Diaz shared her own approach to handling similar situations, saying she has become known as the “go get your mom” mom because she will not tolerate that kind of behavior toward her own children.
Community Reaction Highlights Bigger Concerns
Several other commenters echoed the same sentiment, saying that politely correcting a child in the moment is sometimes necessary when a parent is not visibly present or engaged.
Penny Nemeth Quinones wrote that correcting children quickly is sometimes the only option when a caretaker or parent is not doing their job.
Susie Van Nest said that if the same thing happened to her grandchildren, she would also speak up and tell the child to stop.
Wow u got to wonder & if that was happening to my g kids I would tell him not to do that also !
The conversation reflects a growing concern among parents in the Palm Coast community about supervision at public parks and how to navigate moments when another child’s behavior crosses a line.
While opinions varied on how far is too far when it comes to correcting someone else’s child, most commenters agreed that a polite, brief correction is far better than allowing the behavior to continue unaddressed.
As of now, the identity of the boy’s parent or guardian has not been confirmed, and no further incidents have been reported at the park.
