Things heard while standing in line to use an automatic teller machine

It's over a week ago now, but seeing as how I can't get it out of my head it's obviously meant to be expressed somewhere.

There was a queue because only one of the two ATMs was operational. Not a large queue, only about three customers. A couple join the back of the line. A boy, quite obviously their son, around five years old, doesn't stand in the queue but plays with the bars at the top of the stairwell between floors in the shopping mall, about two metres away. He's not in any danger and he's not in anyone's way either. His father turns around, looks at him and says, "what are you doing over there s**thead?"

It wasn't said in an angry tone, if anything it was slightly on the affectionate side. But I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It set off all kinds of thoughts about what this boy's life is like. How he's learning to relate to people. If his own father curses him casually for no reason, how is he going to show affection as he gets older? Will he even be capable of lifting someone up in love instead of pulling them down?

I refuse to believe this is a normal way to bring up the next generation.