Telling others peoples children off?

[lilystyles]

Just wondering who has ever done this/had this done to their kids/would never do this?
I've been in situations with my DD and DS where other children have hit/pushed/teased them and I have asked the other children to stop (but only ever when their own parents haven't stepped in) I'm not talking a full on lecture but a firm 'please stop that' My DD and DS are 2 & 5 btw.

Definitely! And a lecture to boot too if the behaviour was particularly bad. Why is this kids are precious notion nowadays, and they are seen as little gods, no they are not!

Please feel free to give my two a clip around the ear when needed

Never mind kids - I tell adults off - spitting in the street and dropping litter are the main ones that set me off - I put on my best mad sad face and say "you...you..you SPAT in the street???" as though I am gobsmacked that anyone could do such a thing

...so I'm not really a good judge of what is reasonable :)

...though obv. I get grumpy if they spit in doors too

Probably not if their behaviour was not interfering with me, but if it was,
I would do it - ESPECIALLY if the parents are standing there silent! The 'telling off' would be as much for them as their children

i have just given my dd's friend a good talking to!!!

she has said again,to dd,that she is possibly pregnant (they are 14) so i have just told her to start respecting herself and told her to google std's!! this time i took a harder approach....also discussed contraception with them.

it was a more 'mature' telling off

Exactly madsadlibrarian. If my dd was behaving badly, and I was not there I would expect her to be told off, and again when she got home.

Yeah I often back it up at home too - The usual "I'm disappointed that someone else had to tell you off as you chose to misbehave."

I think children need to understand that it is not possible to just "hide from Mummy" and then it's all right to do whatever they want. Similarly, if other adults react to their behaviour, it socialises them - they live in a society, after all.

Most importantly, if a child is upsetting your own DC, don't you want your DC to see you defending him/her? It gives security back to a child who may be feeling threatened (and who also has probably been told not to do what the other child has just done to him/her!).

I am not advocating discipline or shouting with others' children, just a firm "no" if necessary, and perhaps trying to gently separate them if the encounter has turned too physical.