To have told off boys in the park

[lechatnoir]

My son (6) and 2 friends plus two 9 year old from their school were in the park today and the older two started fighting. I was watching from afar but as one of the boys dad was these I didn't intervene despite it looking a really quite vicious fight. However it soon turned into a mass punch up with my son and his mates somehow joining in! I headed over to break it up and it escalated into one boy being in a headlock and another punching him but looking like it was one big game at which point it ran over dragged my don off another boy and shouted at them all to stop.

I told them how disgusted I was and the older 2 should be ashamed of themselves etc and dragged DS home.

Whilst gathering our things a couple if the other mums both commented that "wow you were brave" & "oh dear I hope u don't get any stick from the other parents"
So AIBU to have given DS and 4 other boys a bollocking?

YANBU, I wouldn't care what the other parents said either, if your son wasn't involved its different but as he was you had every right to go over there.

TBh the other parents probably wouldn't back you up and if they weren't there I doubt the DCs will say anything anyway.

A boy a year older than DS1 and his friend dragged them over onto the concrete in the playground after school and I ran over and called out to him to stop, the auntie of the boy just said ' oh come on he's only playing'! DS and his friend were both crying!

YANBU. It always surprises me how few adults will intervene in this sort of situation. Last week I told off a group of lads for swearing in the park in front of the little kids. I got a very shamefaced apology from two of them. Good for you.

YANBU. It is a pity that other adults don't do the same.

Are you joking OP?! Of course YANBU!! You did the right thing. I can't believe the other parents there said that to you. How ridiculous. If DD was in that situation for some awful reason and I was not there i would be very pleased that another parent had intervened. Well done.

If not you then who else?

I'll tell anyone off, me ... I had a go at some woman who was watching her kids frisbee-ing the wreaths on the little war memorial in the town center the other day ( stroppy cow emoticon )

I love that one lifechanger-I will file it away for future use! (trying to imagine the come back from the parent as they try and deny it )

I think you did the right thing. even if for some of them they were defining it as a game it clearly wasn't going to do anybody any good.

Sometimes kids surprise you and that's lovely because you can see they've got good principles backing them up even if they're behaving like hooligans Several times I've been at parks with the dcs and older kids have been swearing like nobody's business until they notice the little ones and somebody says 'shush there's little kids here' Of course sometimes that doesn't happen and I glare at them.

YANBU Well done for stepping in, I think parents stand back too much for fear of what other says.

Lifechanger, I going to remember that one, its ace.