No, that is child abuse which is very wrong.

No not at all. Accidents happen.

Obviously not. You should report them to child protective services in your state/county, immediately. The parent obviously has serious issues and if he committed a violent act like that, he could be very capable of murder in the future.

Dude, thats child abuse man. report it to the police and let them take care of everything else

Well as the old saying goes, "Don't cry over spilled milk." If your neighbor made a single visible mark on his son from that, it's legally child abuse.

Of course not. And, if you were a therapist and the son were your patient, you would be required to report the incident to the authorities. That's called child abuse.

One word: No. You should report the father to CPS immediately. I do not know the laws but you might be legally culpable if it is found out that you know and do not report.

on the surface, I'd say it's abusive behavior... it probably would be a good thing to report.

Child abuse, report him, if nothing happens and he does it again call me so that I can beat him up with a curtain rod, you simply just don’t do that to a child, this man should be taught a lesson old school style, someone his size should pick on him so that he can feel what it feels like to be beaten up. I hate people like that; normally the police will turn a blind eye if you as neighbour accidentally slipped in bitch slapped him in the process...

Oh my God, NO! The event referenced in this question makes me both angry and sad. I hope your area has an anonymous child-abuse hotline you can call, and that you'll have the courage to report it.

Hell no. Mistakes are exactly that...mistakes. Now if he was looking at his dad, with his middle finger extended towards him while he was PURPOSELY spilling the milk on the floor, I could understand a more direct reaction. Call CPS. Don't let this kid go through life being beaten because his father has low self-esteem.

With a curtain rod? Hell no. That's called child abuse. And I'm a firm believe that children need discipline sometimes but anyone can spill something by mistake and he apologized so that was way too extreme.

With a curtain rod? Hell no. That's called child abuse. And I'm a firm believe that children need discipline sometimes but anyone can spill something by mistake and he apologized so that was way too extreme.

While discipline is very important in raising children, beating them for accidents is not only a bad way to motivate and teach, it is an illegal form of assault with a weapon, in this case it is child abuse. ... very wrong to beat the kid ...

Goodness no. Did you witness the incident? You need to report this immediately. When people know the horrible things these parents do to their children and they do nothing, that is almost as bad as doing it yourself.

No, your neighbor was not right. The child had an accident and should not be beaten for that. I hope someone bigger and stronger beats the crap out of this coward!

no she was not right to do that he said sorry to her and it is not like he spilt it on purpis or like he got his tamper out and smashed the bottle or carton on the floor are you sure she is not on medacaision and lost the tablets and got grumpy well for fact she was not fuckin high!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Use your phone! If you know for sure this happened the way you just told it. Call child protective services. Don't wait!!! This child is being abused.

It is right only if he is a fundamentalist Bible thumper. Spare the Rod -- and so forth... call Child Welfare. Pronto!

No that is not right if the child has said sorry and offered to clean the mess up that just isn't right to beat the poor thing.That child has to be being abused by his father,Please for the sake of that child call Child Welfare.Now!

Not on your life. He's abusing an obviously very well behaved child. He needs reported immediatly.

That is abuse and needs to be reported

That SOB needs to be jailed and the son needs some good psych care.

Was it right for your neighbor to do this? Would you want someone hitting you with a curtain rod over spilled milk? No! It is not right, This is by the saddest question I have ever seen on AB. Did you see it? Did you do anything about it? How old is this kid? hopefully old enough to hit the piece of sh*t so called father in the head with a skillet. If he is too little to defend hiself, YOU need to do something about it, Please report him, The child needs to be safe.

If I knew the man who did this i would arrest him myself at any charges possible. It is not on any level or way you put it okay. He needs to be jailed and the child must be protected!

NO - It is NOT right. NO - It is NOT excusable. NO - It is NOT acceptable. YES - this IS abuse. YES - this HAS happened before. YES - It WILL happen again ... and again ... and again. PLEASE - report your concerns for this child to the the appropriate authorities. Too late to wonder if it's wrong or if it's abuse or if you could or should have helped that child. Too late when that child ends up beyond help.

No. Report it to the Police.

NO NNO NO NO NO NO You Are Now Requested To Report This Insedent IMEADIETLY! You Must Do It For The Future Of The Child! Ryan x

i feel sorry for the poor child for being born to such a cruel father. every body makes mistakes and spilling milk is not like killing someone, and to be punished like that for it is just aweful. children should be corrected for their mistakes. not beaten like animals even after they feel sorry for an unintentional act and are ready to compensate it.

It is never alright to beat anyone for any reason. Too bad that those that abuse can't feel the pain and bear the scars they inflict on others.

It sounds like you were an eye-witness and this was a younger child.. in which case you need to report this immediately to your public child services. When I was older (somewhere in my teens) my mom whacked me twice on the booty with a wooden hanger and only stopped at twice because the hanger broke. I do not remember why but I do not think it was right, no matter what I did. Not wrong enough to call the police.. so I can see why you are asking, but like I said, I was older and this wasn't a regular occurrence. At the very least your neighbor needs to see someone about anger management! Don't let this child grow up feeling powerless.

If in fact it happenned, it's child abuse.

Call the non emergency 911 to came and investigate and question each of them and if it is abuse the child can decide keep the dad or take him away!

Spilling milk?!?!?! My son spilt cofee on my new shirt and I didn't do anything! People make mistakes. I would report child abuse if I were you.

If you saw it with your own eyes and heard the child scream in pain (unless he's mute and unable to do so), then I would call emergency services immediately. This seems to be an extremely severe punishment for spilling milk!

That person might be the parent, but the parent has no right to abuse a child. For spilling milk? If the parent hit the boy just for that, I dont want to imagine if the kid does something worse what would happen. I dont think its right, and maybe if I was you, and I felt there was abuse I would report it to DSS!

Why are you telling AB about this instead of DHS. Call them now! Imagine what he does if the kid does something really bad.

NO! I'd suggest you report it to someone.

No not at all. Imagine what is happening to this child when he does something more serious than spilling milk. Please report it to CPS.

Umm hello? this man should be put behind bars. That kid is going to have serious mental issues when he is older. Report that to the proper authorities.

you should call child protective services on him.

Do something.

I feel you should help the boy all that you can please report him and get help for him

No way! That's completely wrong. I hope that low life goes to jail.

I wish I had received a call on that!

no and I would have reported them for that ...and if it was a man ... well I'm afraid he would have been sitting on his ass real quick !

sorry this cant be a real question .Any moron would no its not right .AND IF ITS TRUE do the right thing and report it

Mr. Horney,You should be beat foe being STUPID!!

He needs to be locked up and the child taken into care.

Definetely not! The child did everything the parent could possibly ask for after making that mistake! There is no good reason for beating a child.

Child Abuse thats what that is and over spilt milk? WOW!

Of course not. Someone should report him to a child protection agency immediately...for his sake and more for the child's sake. My heart goes out to this boy. If you're a teacher or someone in the health care profession, you have a legal responsibility to report this child abuse. And even if you are not, you still have a moral obligation. If my kid spilt milk on the floor I would just help him clean it up and forget about it. He wouldn't even have to apologize! That's how much I love my son.

Absolutely not. It was an accident and the child apologized for God's sake. Even if he intentionally spilled milk I wouldn't beat him with a curtain rod! I'd make him clean it up and maybe use some of his allowance to buy another carton of milk. Now I'm not a psychologist or anything (although I'm very interested in it) and I'm not saying this or that definitely happened, but with cases like this it could be one of a few things. The father could have been abused himself as a child, whether in general or for specific things like spilled milk. In a lot of cases abused children grow up to be abusers themselves (not all, only some or a few). The father could have a lot of unresolved buried seething anger and is using his son as a punching bag. There's a difference between discipline and abuse: if you spank your child for the sole reason that the child did something wrong and you're only spanking to teach them a lesson, that's forgiveable (I know there are people out there who both support and oppose spanking but I'm using this as a comparison example). If you spank your child for a reason other than discipline (the child didn't do anything wrong, or made an honest mistake), and/or use the opportunity as a way to vent anger unrelated to the child, then I believe it's abuse.

no nobody should hit a child for any reason

Back in the days that was called dicipline - but seriously that guy sounds like a douche, report him

Add my voice among many, saying CALL THE PROPER AUTHORITIES!!! That poor child is being abused. Beating with a curtain rod for whatever reason is abuse. Punishment at all for accidentally spilling milk is questionable. When either of my daughters spilled milk, all I had to do was say, "You know how to handle that," and on her own, she'd get a rag and clean it.

your neighbor was totally wrong to do that. he is definitely a child abuser.

nno it wasn't right!!it was just milk no big deal "mistakes/accidents will happen"

How much is milk?

of course it wasn't. spilt milk is NOT a big issue. this man obviously has some anger issues.

No. It was not right for your neighbour to do that. I'm pretty sure beating a child with a curtain rod is illegal and considered child abuse. At least where I live.

no not at all

Dear god, no! How aweful! Poor child. :( That was overreaction on her part, litterally causing tears over spilt milk!

Im so sick of people crying over spilled milk GEESH

hitting a child with a weapon is wrong regardless of what he/she has done - it is your responsibility to do what you can to keep this from happening again

Its mad,Its sick,its F***ful.Lady you have a tender heart.Had i be there in your place you would have seen the man scrubbing public toilets all round the year.

Hell no!!! No child deserves that and over something as petty as spilt milk. thats pathetic and your neighbour is nothing but a bully. Sorry but this has touched a nerve with me as i found out a fortnight ago that my son had been slapped around the face by his father for spilling some juice on the kitchen counter. I am now in the process of making sure he never lays a hand on my kids again and if that means he never sees his children again then so be it.

of course not, if you know about this and you are not telling anybody that could help him your going to feel terrible when he is dead. you need to call social services and make your name anonymous if you dont want anyone to know who called. but definately tell someone.

It is abuse and I hope someone turned him in to the police.

Do you even have to ask?

Wow.. I'm a believer of a smack on the butt but a curtain rod over spilled milk?! Not okay. Report it.

Are you serious? "Was it right of your neighbor to do this?" If this happened to a dog, PETA and crew would be on the first flight out! Your neighbor needs that curtain rod shoved up his ass until it comes through the top of their head. Treatment like this over spilled milk? Sounds like "The boy called it" if you wanna know my take on it. Police need to hear of this one FOR SURE!

Oh hell no

You do not beat your children with a curtain rod, period. Someone should have notified the police, at the time this occurred. A metal curtain rod will definitely leave marks and bruises. You can bet your life this was not the first time this has happened. Do you have a phone?

Your neighbour is just an ignorant bully, who likes the power he can hold over someone who isn't fully grown yet.

That's child abuse - he should be reported to the authorities!

a curtain rod? i can understand spanking [although i think even that would be a bit much for spilling milk] but that is definitely abuse. i hope you were able to do something about it and get the kid out of any horrible situations he might be in.

It was far, Far, FAr, FAR from right for him to do that!!!! However a parent chooses to discipline their child is their business, but any further than a smack on the butt is way too far!!! Call the cops and tell them there's a terrible case of child abuse going on in your neighbour's house. If they ask what happened, tell them exactly what happened, down to the last detail. They'll be like OMG this is awful!!! The man honestly has no right to be a father.

well i think just plain beating your kid is wrong

there's no way it was right but how old was the son? if son's like 40 we have a whole different dynamic going.

What in the hell do you think?

no that kind of dicapline is way to harsh. It is not legal to use anything but your hand to spank a child and only on the bottom once. I can understand if the child is doing something horible getting harsher than just one spank but what you are discribing is not right at all. and the reason for the punishment is just plain retarded. I have 5 children if they apoigize and clean it up all they get is a "please be more carefull next time" from me.

oh my gosh no! i dont know why people feel the need to hit their kids over such small things! He should be glad your his neighbor and not me...I would have called the D.S.S!!!!He is very wrong!

Its never ok to hit a kid with any thing for any reason.. its considered child abuse... that guy needs help

well kids spill things. its not because they are bad, its because they are little. Even i break and spill things. I wouldnt want my b/f beating me for breaking the coffee mug....i dont think it was right

It depends on the number of times or the strength. sometimes only striking the child once if ok, because it is to get there attention, but if it was repeatedly it is not ok.

sounds like someone should take the rod and hit the dad with it see how he likes it

i would have beat the neighbor with the curtain rod!!!

Absolutely NOT! No child ever deserves to be beaten for ANY reason! And in this case he didn't even deserve a smack on the hand...it was an accident. People like that should have their right to procreate revoked!

I am a mother of a 12 year old son and he does a lot more than spill milk. That is abusive and uncalled for and should be reported immediately so the situation can be monitored and rectified. Right now my mouth is gapping in shock and horror. I feel so sorry for the little boy I wish I can give him a hug!!

Spanking has a time and a place, but this incident is clearly wrong. A child having an accident, such as spilling milk, should NEVER be punished in such a way. And a curtain rod shouldn't be used no matter what. Spanking is a last-resort for me. I only use it when my children are repeatedly endangering themselves, like playing with electrical plugs or something... and even then it's one good swat, and it never comes without warning.

why do you even have to ask? Uh yea, call the cops. Or go over and beat him w/a curtin rod, to prove a point. "How does that feel, you jackass!"

no,that was not right.spilled milk isn't going to hurt anything but beating that child could have permanately scared him,mentally and physically.

That is absolutly disgusting. I hope he rots in hell !

that is twisted as all hell!

HAIL NO!! man was he like arrested for it!? jeezus! id go over there, and beat him w/ a curtain rob and see how he feels!! and take the kid and prolly take care of eem till the police get dere! l☺l

NO!!!!! for god sakes that is terrible! that neighbor needs help before he really hurts that poor child! that could be, no it is, child abuse!!!

Not just no, but F$*# no. A person can cry over spilled milk, but no. I personally would have gone over gotten the kid out of there, gone back and introduced the guy to the glass of milk, the curtain rod, and the police. And he would have kept "tripping" on the stairs on his way out the door.

Spilled milk? And he agreed to clean up the mess? That Ought to have been the end of it. Of COURSE it was wrong. And he should be arrested for child beating, assault, etc. He really sounds like an abuser (not sexual in this case).

I am really upset that someone even needs to ask this question. However, if you witnessed this and did nothing shame on you. My son is always spilling milk and does it frustrate me, yes do I make him help clean it up yes! Should I ever hit my child over an accident NEVER. Especially a curtain rod! Help that poor boy.