Was I in the wrong here?

Ilovemyshed · 2026-11-06T16:26:58+00:00

Stopped at a motorway services and as we came out a little girl 9 ish took the wrapper off a muffin and dropped on the ground about a metre from a bin. I said excuse me, perhaps you could put that in the bin? Quite politely with a smile. Young girl went to do exactly that whereupon her mother grabbed the wrapper and flung it back on the ground shouting at me “don’t tell my child what to do!” How would you have reacted?

AMarkAMissionABrandAScar · 06/11/2026 16:27

I wouldn't have said it in the first place!

DragonInADress · 06/11/2026 16:28

I would have picked it up and put it in the bin myself tbh.

Hatty65 · 06/11/2026 16:28

I'd have looked at Mum and said, 'Well we know why your child is a litter lout then, don't we? You've set a piss poor example' and walked off.

ToKittyornottoKitty · 06/11/2026 16:28

If the mum was right there I wouldn’t have told someone else’s child what to do, even though she’s wrong to litter.

Openmouthinsertfood · 06/11/2026 16:29

Actually I think you were very brave. If more people acted like you maybe we wouldn't have the anti social tearaways on the streets now that we do.

WitchesBritches · 06/11/2026 16:36

You didn't do anything wrong. it takes a village and all that!! a nine-year-old is well used to other adult adults telling them what to do, it's not a big deal!!

The mother was a loudmouth, rude twat, I'd have just said, something like, Well someone needed to and clearly you weren't going to.
Feel free to pick it up yourself!!

But it would've depended how rough they looked in the first place! If she looked like she might thump me I wouldn't have said anything in the first place!

I was out at a lake the other day & a Mum let her quite large child 4+ I'd say, do a poo on a potty between our cars (he looked quite old to be doing that comfortably, but I didn't have a problem with it) it was one of those potties that has a bag in it, she tied it up and threw it under the hedge & without even thinking, I wound down the window and said 'You're not going to just leave that there are you?'

She said 'no' & did pick it up, but of course she was going to otherwise you just put it beside your wheel or something until you got the child buckled in you wouldn't throw it under a hedge🙄🙄🙄

Weeelokthen · 06/11/2026 16:37

Good for you! I would have said the same.

didntlikeanyofthesuggestions · 06/11/2026 16:39

I would have written to my local MP

Original poster

Ilovemyshed · 06/11/2026 16:47

I did then say loudly , “how sad you are teaching your child such poor manners”.

Then I picked it up and put it in the bin.

OP posts:

seahorsessky · 06/11/2026 16:52

WitchesBritches · 06/11/2026 16:36

You didn't do anything wrong. it takes a village and all that!! a nine-year-old is well used to other adult adults telling them what to do, it's not a big deal!!

The mother was a loudmouth, rude twat, I'd have just said, something like, Well someone needed to and clearly you weren't going to.
Feel free to pick it up yourself!!

But it would've depended how rough they looked in the first place! If she looked like she might thump me I wouldn't have said anything in the first place!

I was out at a lake the other day & a Mum let her quite large child 4+ I'd say, do a poo on a potty between our cars (he looked quite old to be doing that comfortably, but I didn't have a problem with it) it was one of those potties that has a bag in it, she tied it up and threw it under the hedge & without even thinking, I wound down the window and said 'You're not going to just leave that there are you?'

She said 'no' & did pick it up, but of course she was going to otherwise you just put it beside your wheel or something until you got the child buckled in you wouldn't throw it under a hedge🙄🙄🙄

Funny how people have a go at dog owners for being disgusting, isn't it? Everyone seems quite happy to complain about them, but too many people are acting like OP's wrong for intervening when this is a human, who will grow up to be an adult probably choosing to have kids of her own to "bring up" like this.

Skippythemagnificent · 06/11/2026 16:53

More people should. Children being raised by awful lazy parents need to see society correcting them as their parents won’t.

I was in a small Tesco and a boy’s dad was at the sweets, and he came up from the small freezer section at the bottom of that aisle with a tub of ice cream and asked for it, dad said no. I was standing half way down the aisle so the boy walked down, and then stuck the ice cream tub on a shelf instead of walking another 10 feet to the freezer. I told him to put it back in the freezer, dad heard me talk to the boy and came at me asking what my problem was, but when I told him he went very polite to me and then gave his son a bollocking. So… he was a bit dodgy but at least fixed it when he realised his kid was the problem.

TheLastSilverSaint · 06/11/2026 16:57

You didn't do anything wrong.

I think the mother's reaction was entirely predictable, though. You weren't wrong to tell the kid off, but I would certainly have assumed that a parent who thinks it OK for her child to drop litter will be an ignorant arsehole who will take exception to anyone who expects basic decency and consideration in public spaces.

LemonPuppyPorkChop · 06/11/2026 17:03

You did nothing wrong.

UndeadLife · 06/11/2026 17:05

Report mum for littering, get her number plate and 101 it.

Allseeingallknowing · 06/11/2026 17:12

Say that where I live and you’d be in danger of having your features rearranged! Amazed at parents who turn a blind eye to little Jimmy throwing his drinks can into my hedge, little Emily picking flowers from my garden and throwing them on the road!

GeorgeMichaelsCat · 06/11/2026 17:14

You weren't in the wrong but any child brought up to just dump rubbish on the floor will be parented by the type of mother you encountered.

SwingAndRelax · 06/11/2026 17:15

The hypocrisy of the mum telling you what to do! She sounds quite dim tbh.

Moonnstarz · 06/11/2026 17:16

Openmouthinsertfood · 06/11/2026 16:29

Actually I think you were very brave. If more people acted like you maybe we wouldn't have the anti social tearaways on the streets now that we do.

Edited

I agree with this.

I wouldn't have said anything as the chances were the reaction would be as described with a parent giving you a mouthful.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 06/11/2026 17:20

Children running at pigeons pisses me off , not so bad running into the flock to make them fly , but one little shit was jumping into the group.
I wasn;t silent .
Cannot abide animal cruelty , even if "Oh they're only pigeons they can fly off "
Why should they ?

milkeyway · 06/11/2026 17:23

Good for you

Isittimeformynapyet · 06/11/2026 17:48

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 06/11/2026 17:20

Children running at pigeons pisses me off , not so bad running into the flock to make them fly , but one little shit was jumping into the group.
I wasn;t silent .
Cannot abide animal cruelty , even if "Oh they're only pigeons they can fly off "
Why should they ?

Not so bothered by this tbh. As you rightly say, pigeons will fly off. And the reason they "should" is so they don't get hurt. It's very sensible.

Litter won't put itself in the bin.

NB. I leave all wildlife in peace myself.

BoredZelda · 06/11/2026 17:50

I’d have then said to the mum “ok, can you pick up the litter your daughter dropped?” And when she said no, told her how slovenly she was and picked it up myself.

TweakTrick · 06/11/2026 17:59

Ilovemyshed · 06/11/2026 16:47

I did then say loudly , “how sad you are teaching your child such poor manners”.

Then I picked it up and put it in the bin.

Well done OP. Good for you.

angelasim · 07/11/2026 19:35

I don't think you can do anything else. You made your point.

JMSA · 07/11/2026 19:43

The mother is a scumbag.