Yesterday DS3 (9) was sent to PO collection to get parcels and came home upset so I marched up there...

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and got all passively pleasantly aggressive on his ass with

"Please could you let me know the PO rules about a 10 year old collecting family parcels" (smile sweetly)

"Oh it was your manager was it, could I please have a word" (she'd gone out within the 5 minutes it had taken DS to relay the story so couldn't speak to me)

"Oh dear maybe she could call me if there's a problem here. DS is very upset now because as he left he heard you say 'How disgusting' and of course to him you're someone in uniform and he is very law-abiding"

"Oh it wasn't you was it? Oh it was someone in the queue. Yes I will take your heartfelt apology to him, yes I understand that you're sorry the little man is so upset. Thank you for your time" whistle sweetly, smile gently, walk away.

AIBU to think he won't be commenting on someone's parenting ever again

(DS(3) is almost 10. He has little jobs to do, one of which is to collect parcels from the PO when we know what they are. The PO is two small quiet blocks away (3 min walk). He relishes the responsibility as it makes him feel like his older brothers.)

I think the reason pools are putting ages up is because of the free awimming thing.

It was getting so bad at ours we stopped going, much better now children up to 16 must have an adult.

Good on you! you seemed to have handled it very well. Hate the assumption that every child is a baby and we should keep them locked in their cots until we suddenly turn them loose on the world at 16. The world would be a better place if people were more used to the sight of 9yos running errands for their mothers.

I meant that it's unlikely that your average 10 year old will have any ID.

At my library children under 8 must be accompanied at all times. Doesn't stop some parents trying to use it as a creche though, we're in the town centre and it's amazing how many parents are just "nipping up to the loo" and come back half an hour later laden with shopping bags . We now have a letter ready to hand out to repeat offenders, which usually has the desired effect, especially when it's handed over with a comment about it being a reminder of our policy on lone children when there are plenty of other parents around to overhear.

OP I do not think YABU, as you stated there are no rules on age for collecting parcels and if they had half a brain at the PO they could have seen from the address that you lived nearby.

It is odd given that PO guy will have seen the size and address on the parcels, and presumably realised how close you were.