To ask what you would have done

[jubilee10]

In supermarket yesterday with ds2 (almost 15) and ds3 6 (just, and looks younger). Ds's are, as usual, pushing each other and squabbling over who should push the trolley. I'm looking for bargains for a BBQ but within arms reach of trolley and totally ignoring the two of them. I'm suddenly aware of a raised adult voice and look round to see an elderly lady (not ancient - would say mid 60's) leaning down within inches of ds3's face shaking her finger at him.

Thinking that he has bumped into her or knocked her with the trolley I move over to intervene and apologise to hear her say "don't you ever hit your Mummy. You are a very naughty little boy' she said it several times as ds2 and I stood with our mouths hanging open. Ds3 burst into floods of tears, the lady moved off and I said - nothing! Infact I felt quite intimidated and dodged up and down the aisles avoiding her for the rest of my shop. Ds2 thought it was quite funny but even he was quite shocked by it.

Ds3, being a confident and "spirited" child, does not appear to to have suffered any long term upset but should I have said anything to her?

YABU. Nothing worthy of outrage happened, really. Your kids were squabbling, one of them hit the other one, an adult of a certain age told him off in a very stern, strong voice. So? Fair enough you didn't like it at the time but all in all it's no big deal.
And lasting upset over this from a spirited 6yo would be very unusual and something of an overreaction.

"my 2ds's are having a quiet little jostling match beside me in the supermarket. Not running riot, not causing any grief"

Or

"I'm looking for bargains for a BBQ but within arms reach of trolley and totally ignoring the two of them."

which is it?

Sorry my last post sounds like I'm defending the OP's sons behaviour, I'm not!

What I am trying to say (badly) is that if someone made my child cry, I would certainly be finding out what happened, I woudnt say nothing.

It sounds like the boys deserved a telling off as the OP wasn't paying attention to the way they were acting.

I understood MrsPresley. I agree

You may have thought their behaviour was OK OP, but it's really annoying when you'e in a supermarket and people's kids are messing about and being a pain when you're trying to remember a shopping list and concentrate.

At 15, I would have left them in the cafe but your 15 yo sounds a bit immature if he's fighting a 6yo for control of a trolley!

I was once giving DS1 a telling off outside a hop for mibehaving and this little old thing wander past us and ruffled his hair as if to say, "Awww never mind son!"

I was fuming! too fuming t do anything actually. DS1 already had me pretty stressed out in the shop. A strong reaction from me to this woman would have sent me right over the edge. I just put him in a taxi, went home and had a large coffee.

YANBU. It was none of her business.

*shop

"little old thing"

Jesus

I agree with oldslag

I hate supermarket shopping. If its busy its hard work. It's really hard work doing it whilst keeping in check my 18 month old and my 7 y old (with ADHD). If I'm managing that, its really mad-making to work around other peoples unruly kids, who are being ignored by their parents