Don’t Be Afraid to Correct My Kid

by Alexander Tidd

Not long ago, I read a seemingly simple story that gave me a lot to think about. A mom riding the metro in Prague watched as an elderly woman gently tapped her young daughter’s leg to remind her not to put her feet on the seat. No drama. No yelling. Just a quiet, respectful reminder. The little girl quickly corrected herself, and the mom—surprised but grateful—let it go with a smile.

Can you imagine that happening here in the U.S. without someone getting defensive or starting a fight?

That moment in Prague captured something I think many American parents are craving right now: a sense that we’re not doing this alone. That if our kid forgets their manners or starts melting down in a grocery store aisle while the parent is distracted, someone else might step in to gently help out. The idea of “it takes a village” sounds nice on a mug, but the reality in most places is that we’ve built parenting into something you’re supposed to do entirely on your own.

Whatever Happened to the Village?

There was a time when neighbors, teachers, store clerks, even random grown-ups at the park felt comfortable offering a little guidance when a kid got out of line. And it wasn’t seen as an overstep. In fact, it was expected. People looked out for each other’s children the way they looked out for their own.

That model hasn’t just faded. It’s practically disappeared. Somewhere along the way, we decided parenting should be an entirely private affair. Maybe it was the rise of “helicopter parenting,” or maybe we’ve all just gotten more wary of others stepping in. But the message is clear: unless you're the parent, keep your opinions—and your interventions—to yourself.

And let’s be honest, that’s made things harder. Being the only adult expected to manage your child’s behavior 100% of the time, in every setting, with zero margin for error, isn’t just unrealistic—it’s a recipe for burnout. Parenting already comes with enough guilt and pressure. Knowing that everyone around you is watching (but not necessarily helping) doesn’t make it easier.

Stepping in Can Go a Long Way

What would it look like to shift back to a more collective approach? Not in a "everyone gets a say in how you raise your kid" kind of way, but in a way that gently brings the community back into child-rearing. Because the truth is, most of us could really use the backup.

Think about how much lighter things would feel if you knew the adults around you had your back. If the teacher, the neighbor, the aunt at the birthday party, the friend at school pickup—if they all felt empowered to kindly redirect your child when needed, and you knew it came from a place of support, not judgment.

And for kids? That kind of environment teaches them how to listen, adapt, and learn from a variety of people. It’s not about obedience for the sake of it—it’s about social learning. It’s about knowing how to be a decent human in a world full of other humans.

I’ve talked to parents from cultures where this still happens, where an older cousin might gently correct your kid’s tone, or a store clerk reminds a toddler not to touch something fragile, and the parent just nods in appreciation. There’s something beautiful about that kind of shared responsibility. It makes families feel less alone. It builds community trust. It shows kids they’re part of something bigger than just their immediate household.

Parents Know It’s Not So Simple

Now, none of this is to say we should go around correcting each other’s children willy-nilly. There are boundaries. Not every situation calls for another adult to step in. And not every parent welcomes it. Plus, cultural norms vary—what’s supportive in one community might feel intrusive in another.

But maybe we could open the door just a little. Maybe we could talk more openly with the people in our lives—our friends, neighbors, teachers—about how we want them to interact with our kids. Maybe we could let go of the idea that every correction is an insult to our parenting.

Because at the end of the day, parenting doesn’t work well in isolation. And most of us aren’t actually looking for someone to take over—we just want to feel like someone is in it with us. That if our child is out of sight or just having a hard moment, there are people who will step in with kindness instead of criticism.

That metro moment in Prague stuck with me because it was so small and so powerful. It was a reminder that discipline doesn’t have to be loud or shame-based. Sometimes it can be quiet, shared, and woven into the fabric of everyday life—if we’re willing to let it be.

Maybe it’s time to bring a little of that village mentality back. Not because we’ve failed as individual parents, but because raising kids in a world that’s this busy, this complex, and this exhausting shouldn’t be something we try to do alone.