Wow that's kind of cold isn't it? What about visiting grandkids and stuff?
Anyways, to throw my $0.02 in on this thread, I have learned to not judge parents or their kids when I see things in a store, you never know what has been happening earlier in the day or previous incidents where the parent feels the need to handle a situation differently from time to time.
If a parent or kid is bothering me I move away from the area.