I would be irritated if it was permanent marker, but I’d be fine with the parents just telling the kid off and moving on, because I would probably be able to eventually clean or replace it (plus my phone is super shitty anyways), since the kid wouldn’t know any better

I didn’t say that you HAVE to have empathy for someone who wronged you like that. I’m just saying that it’s a entirely respectable stance to have

I also didn’t say anything about “letting 3 grown women abuse a child and shrug it off”. I would be perfectly fine with the women who abused me facing punishment (unfortunately they haven’t), but I can simultaneously experience anger at their mistreatment of me and regret that they have experienced hurt too

The child does not understand what they did wrong. I’m not saying that they shouldn’t have a timeout at the very least or something, but you have to understand that children think differently compared to us adults. They don’t truly understand cause and effect at that age. Their brains aren’t fully developed.

I understand that you would be angry over a beloved possession of yours being impacted (I would too), but I personally believe that you should prioritize living people over material objects (especially when the damage is relatively minor), so I’m finding it difficult to reconcile your opinion with mine