AIBU? Kid's kicking rotting apples in a field / parent had a right go

But its not as simple as that is it? There's a wide variation in what people consider "acting badly" when it comes to non- criminal behaviour. People used to spit at unmarried mothers and mixed race couples under the guise of "calling out people who act badly".

You are extrapolating an awful lot from my comments.

Your assumption is incorrect. At no point did I say that lads kicking things around is odd. But if you prefer to make stuff up then that’s fine.

It’s funny you call people miserable fucks for criticising others when that’s exactly what you are doing, and quite aggressively at that.

And having to claim you are lots of fun tends to be a little ‘try hard’. I don’t feel the need to justify how I am perceived. It makes no odds what a rando online thinks of me.

Otherwise known as people who are able to call out people who act badly

I wouldn’t have allowed my kids to do this. I can’t even explain why. I just wouldn’t have been happy with that behaviour.
If they need to let off steam, take them to a football pitch.

I know where my money is.

Certainly there is plenty of joyless fuckers like that about.

The comments on this thread are batshit 😂😂😂

I hope when my boys are that age, that they will still want to have fun like that.

13 and 15??
I'm now picturing two lads dressed in black tracksuits (balaclava optional in the countryside), playing with apples in the grass.

Whateva keeps em away from the road bros' innit? 👍

Or maybe she was just an interfering busy body with a stick up her arse? Who knows nothing about teenagers.

I don’t know fuck all about you. I know you think teenagers playing about is strange - that tells me a lot. I know you think lads kicking spherical objects about surprising. This tells me you know fuck all about teenage lads. Most teenage boys will kick anything, apples, bottles, cans, anything. And apples is way better than cans or bottles.
I know you think only little kids should have fun and the rest of us should behaving like ‘grown ups’ and that sounds like a miserable fucking existence to me. I’ll play in leaves, snow, puddles and kick around apples and play sword fighting with sticks.
You stick to being a grown up I’ll be playing around having fun and if you think that’s strange that’s on you but I know whose having more fun and who has better mental health and it’s not the miserable fucks criticising others.

Okay then - unusual. They aren’t small children. I was just surprised that lads of that age managed to entertain themselves like that.

If it was that wholesome then the woman would not have spoken to them.

Most people wouldn’t risk a confrontation in that situation so, for her to have spoken up, she must have had good reason.

As for feeling ‘crushed’ for me - how patronising. You know fuck all about my life.

And how do we know she wasn’t firm but polite? On MN that usually translates to ‘screaming in someone’s face’.

Nobody is going to bother kicking off at kids who are just playing

It’s the sheer po faced humourlessness that’s beginning to get to me. As many have said on this thread the joy of stomping in puddles, breaking ice, swishing through leaves, playing cricket with apples, throwing pebbles in ponds, building dens, conkers, pooh sticks. All pointless activities that destroy nature. Also, all brilliant fun. Two teenage boys playing in the country with their mum reading a book nearby is about the most wholesome thing I can think of.
The absolute misery of living your life in a controlled, silent, joyless way makes me feel crushed for you. But you love it - I hope. Go for it. But don’t call two teenage boys enjoying physical activity in nature strange because it’s not what you want.

Honestly kicking rotten apples about probably wouldn't have bothered me unless it was making a huge mess that was impacting others. I also think there's a firm but polite way to say things first before you kick off at someone

Perhaps the lady was concerned that they were wasting apples that could be used. People do forage for windfall apples for cooking etc.

That’s just ridiculous.

Well they obviously were near to someone and did annoy them!
The countryside code and the Yorkshire Dales website both say 'leave no trace of your visit. But the op obviously thinks it doesn't apply to her not-so-little princes.
Apart from the destructive disrespectful behaviour and mess, what normal 15 year old is entertained for 30 minutes stomping on apples? A toddler maybe, but 15??

Thats a bit weird!

Well yes, someone pouring boiling water over someone would be an extreme reaction.

😂

Well scalding anyone would be alarming in the extreme ...

Not as strange as two lads of that age entertaining themselves by kicking some rotten apples about while on a picnic with their mother

I’m a bit surprised at comments about nature being a special place that kids should learn to respect by not disturbing.
I don’t think that is very useful.
I think I learned to care about and respect nature by feeling connected to it.
Kids will have been doing this for as long as humans have lived near apple trees, children are a part of nature too, not separate from it, imo.
I think you can only really learn about your responsibilities by experimenting like this a bit. So maybe fair enough that someone had a go at them, it’s all a learning experience.
The idea though that most kids are not able to grasp the difference between kicking fallen apples at the end of a field and more destructive behaviour is very strange.

I wouldn't have let my kids do it, the same way I tell them not to break up rotten wood we find in the woods (even though it's delightfully tactile!). Rule is when we are in nature (or anywhere really), we try to leave things as we find them - unless it's litter then we pick it up and put it in the bin!

It's really not that bad in the grand scheme of things but I just hate seeing things wilfully destroyed, even if they are just rotten apples.

Not that I would care anyway, but I would LOVE to have so little to worry about that I could give a fuck about rotting apples

Omg op can't believe the number of YABUs you have! It's fallen wild fruit. They're helping break it down and it will be easier for birds to forage it now. No one should be caring about harmless mess in the middle of a field!

Ignore shouty woman and don't let her spoil your day.

i spend a lot of time in Spain. In January the trees are full of oranges , the streets , the square , gardens , just everywhere but they’re not sweet and only good for marmalade tbh. The Spanish are inundated with them , Spanish neighbours give them to their foreign neighbours to make marmalade, but as this is pretty much a non Brit town , very few want them. In the squares the children play football with them . No one gets upset. Currently I’m bursting at the seams with mangos . We’ve had them practically every morning 🤭