Okay, so everyone's post have been very PC....but I"m giving the Eastern KY school of thought. Bare with me.
I am so old fashioned!!!!! The first thing I thought of was "wow - this kid needs a major spanking!" I don't care if he's 8 - he needs it!
I can't believe the mother just sat there. The nerve some parents have.
Carnation - just have faith that when your child grows up he won't have social skill problems or he'll be able to handle the word "no". This kid will end up in the wrong place at the wrong time and get his butt beat by some thugs who will teach him the word "no".
Just get a mental picture of that while you have to clean up the toy room!
My daughters attend both public and private schools, and both give out books with everyones names, addresses and phone numbers. If you don't want your information in the publication, you just sign something a form to that effect at the beginning of the year. It is great for play dates and birthday invitations.
We use to have a yearly party at our mountain house where families would come up and get a tree and then come by our house for food. As one family was leaving, the boy was systematically kicking the light fixtures down the walkway. He had knocked the tops off of about six of them before I caught up to him. Get this - his dad was right there talking to someone, totally oblivious to his child's destruction! I actually stopped the kid by standing in front of the next light, and then interrupted his father and showed him what his son had done. He gave his kid a slight half hearted reprimand, put the top back on one or two lights, then left. Needless to say, they did not make the invite list after that!
I am one of those mean mommies that limits our childrens invite list to the age that they are turning, and we usually do the parties at our house. If there is a child running around acting wild I usually ask them if this is how they act in their own home, and then proceed to tell them that we don't climb on furniture, swing from the ceiling fan or kick the dog in our house. Then I politely tell them if they can't treat our home with more respect then I can call their parent to come and get them. Fortunately, it has always worked...I have not had to call any parents yet!
KillareyRose - I love the idea of suggesting a time out on the porch!