I'm surprised the father did that, too, and it's sorta refreshing to see that he intervened in the situation. I agree that there are an awful lot of parents around who'd have let that go by without a thought. I'm not a supporter of kid-beating, but parents discipline in different ways. I hope his method alters their future behavior and doesn't cause them lasting physical harm. My belief is that too much of that just teaches them to be future kid-beaters and combatants themselves and sidesteps the whole issue of teaching them courtesy and respect for others.