A woman responded after her neighbor’s child splashed water on her cat by pouring water back on him, sparking tension between the two households.

Some commenters even suggested that modern parenting can sometimes lean too heavily toward shielding children from discomfort.

In their perspective, small, harmless consequences can reinforce boundaries more effectively than lectures alone. The phrase “actions have consequences” appeared repeatedly throughout the discussion.

However, not everyone agreed with Shannon’s approach. Critics argued that regardless of the child’s behavior, an adult should not respond in kind.

They felt the appropriate course of action would have been to speak to the child’s parents rather than taking matters into her own hands.