Today, I was walking in the park, people were coming and going, and an exchange between a mother and child caught my attention and I would like to share it with you: both mother and child were walking forward, the child (about 4-5 years old) was crying while walking, um – hum – hum, um – hum – hum (not too loud and not too small), while crying, the child used his hand to pull the mother’s hand, the child pulled the mother’s hand, the mother’s hand lifted upwards (the mother did not say anything); the child was walking again to pull the mother’s hand, the child pulled the mother’s hand, the mother’s hand lifted upwards; and so on. The child was pulling the mother’s hand, the child pulled the mother’s hand, and the mother’s hand went up again; so on and so forth, accompanied by the child’s cries, and so on for about 100 meters. Suddenly, the mother raised her hand above her head so that the child could not grasp it, and then the mother’s hand was lowered again, and the child held the mother’s arm, and the mother did not drop the child’s hand, and the child’s crying stopped, and the mother and child’s pace also stopped. At this point the mother began to speak, the child quietly looked up at the mother, the mother said: “You child how so poisonous ah! You can drink from my cup, how come I’m drinking from yours!” — “Who taught you this!” —– Soon after, mother and son continued on their way, the mother continued to lecture the child, “You make me all angry!” “Don’t you ever follow me again!” — accompanied by the child’s “uh-huh-huh-huh, uh-huh-huh-huh” sound away. I’m sure this scene is not uncommon in everyday life, and I’m sure it has occurred in my own interactions with my child. I was thinking: what is the child’s purpose when he keeps crying and often goes to pull his mother? What is the purpose of the mother teaching the child a lesson by not letting him hold her arm? Did the mother and son achieve their respective purposes today through the interaction? (I have a feeling it was not.) How should I react next time I am in a similar situation?