A discussion about children’s behavior and parenting has erupted online after an Elmira parent claimed that their daughter was slapped by other kids while playing at a local park.
The conversation started after a post appeared in the Facebook group “Elmira is Crazy,” where a parent described an incident that allegedly occurred at Brick Pond Park.
In the post, Cory Royce wrote that his daughter had been playing when several other children suddenly slapped her. The post read,
My kid was playing at brick pond park and some kids decided to slap her for no reason. Raise your kids better
Cory Royce
The brief message gained attention, drawing a wide range of reactions from community members. While some commenters expressed concern for the child and called for accountability, others debated how parents should respond when conflicts happen between kids.
Several commenters suggested that incidents like this should be taken seriously. One person, Rebecca’s Maple Lane, argued that parents should involve authorities if necessary. She added,
Call the police, never to early to teach kids that it is a crime. Probably a bully in school too.
Rebecca’s Maple Lane
Another commenter, Ashley Seymour, supported the idea that parents should hold children responsible for their actions.
Bonnie Collyer ?? What would you do, hit the kid back yourself?
Ashley Seymour
However, not everyone agreed that involving law enforcement was the right approach. Bonnie Collyer pushed back on the idea, saying the matter should first be handled between parents.
Collyer wrote,
Ashley Seymour I would go to the parents. Everybody wants to call the police. And like I said, there’s two sides to every story. You take care of it like adult parents. And if the. parents don’t want to deal with it, then yeah, deal with it yourself but with the kids. I don’t even know what age we’re talking about here. Either way, deal with it like parents.. not calling the police.
Bonnie Collyer
Another commenter, Jamie Hunt, also criticized the idea of calling the police over a conflict involving children. Hunt wrote,
Rebecca’s Maple Lane oh yes, a simple teachable moment that efficienct parenting can handle, of course we should give them a criminal record already instead of doing our job. Lazy parent right there.
Jamie Hunt
Some participants in the discussion shifted the conversation toward broader concerns about children’s behavior in public spaces.
Yvonne Peachy Peters shared her own experiences at the park, saying she had witnessed disruptive behavior before.
I have seen kids pee down the slide there, start fights. I don’t go there anymore. Can’t have nice things.
Yvonne Peachy Peters
Others suggested that children should be taught to defend themselves or stay in groups for safety. Holly Tabron advised parents to encourage kids to stick together while at the park. She wrote,
People don’t. My advice would be to go with adults, or go with a large group of kids. Tell them that if anyone bothers one of them, they all had better go and help.
Holly Tabron
It shouldn’t have to be this way, but that is how it is.
Betty Jo Baker took a similar stance, writing,
Na momma teach ur child self defense to stand up to bulls
Betty Jo Baker
Amid the serious discussion, a few comments added humor or referenced other incidents. Darryl Forrest joked that the situation might have been caused by a game gone wrong. He wrote,
She shouldn’t have beat them at pickleball!
Darryl Forrest
Sidney Hayne replied that the joke may have been referring to a recent situation involving a violent altercation following a pickleball game.
Cory Royce it’s referring to the incident at eda a few days ago a kid was beat unconscious and apparently paralyzed due to losing a game of pickleball.
Sidney Haynes
Despite the differing opinions, many commenters focused on the well-being of the child mentioned in the post. Maryalice Condon simply wrote,
I hope your daughter is okay!
Maryalice Condon
For now, the discussion showcases how quickly local concerns can spark wider debates online about parenting, discipline, and community responsibility when conflicts between children occur in public spaces.
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