Vignettes from the Beach

Sitting on the beach yesterday, I had two families just to my left. Two women, two men, and about 6 children who seemed equally divided between the two sets of parents. One set of children busied themselves with the entertainment the beach offers...reading on a towel, digging in the sand, frolicking in the surf. The other three hovered around their mother, intent on a mission.

"Mommy-ah! I-ah need-ah help-ah!" (emphasis on final syllables)
To this, mom shoves a packet of chips at her daughter.

A few minutes later, same girl child plops herself in mom's beach chair.
"Honey, that's my chair."
Girl child does not move and mom continues standing and then moves on to someone else's vacated chair.

A few minutes later, girl child and boy child, who are of same size and approximate age, proceed to push each other back and forth. Mom pushes boy child and says "Stop it!" Boy child and girl child move just behind mom and begin kicking sand at each other. Mom grabs girl child and walks her to a spot 15' away from group. "5 minute time out." Boy child is put in a 5 minute time out as well, but is allowed to sit at one of the men's feet for the duration of his exile.

Discipline is derived from the word meaning "to teach". What did these children learn?