You may think that I am over the top but what do you call putting your child on someone else’s lap? Is THAT not over the top? Have you ever done that? What would YOUR child feel like? Would they feel like you are sticking up for them or would they feel mortified? The same way that she put her child on the corner of that woman’s seat she could have placed her on the corner of her own seat or not embarrass her and moved over and allowed her to place herself on the seat. Or as stated before just switch seats to begin with and the child could stand up to see her father at any time. Why would you or anyone think that the child would have the same or more right than the adult just because she got there first? Does she deserve special treatment because her father was laining? Well my son-in-law lains twice at night and twice in the morning every year plus every shabbos and yom tov and even HE doesn’t get special treatment nor does he expect it.
OK, so I am older and of a different generation so does that mean what I was taught doesn’t apply any longer? What I taught my kids doesn’t apply any longer? The rules of derech eretz and respect your elders doesn’t apply any longer? What exactly did that woman do wrong? She wanted to sit on an empty seat that a young woman was holding for her child who was obviously much younger than the elder woman. What exactly was wrong with the woman expecting the younger woman to accommodate? Nothing. What exactly would it have cost Esther Malka to accomodate? Nothing. Why did this incident have to take place. No reason. What good came out of it? Nothing. What bad came out of it? Obviously bad feelings all the way around. What can we learn from this? You will have to figure that out individually for yourselves. This was NOT a good way to teach a 10 year old child to stick up for themselves. Next time you want to teach your daughter such a lesson it would be better off taught on the playground with children her own age.