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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think this woman was rude to my DSs and not the other way around??

210 replies

songbird33 · 12/08/2012 17:38

I took my DSs (7 and 5) and their friend who is 6 to the local park, and they were really keen to go to McDonalds on the way back so my DS1 shouted 'MCDONALDS' very loudly on the way back to the car. There was a woman, probably in her twenties, sitting in the car reading and she did look up and give DS a strange look (she had the windows open.) This prompted my other DS and their friend to all keep shouting MCDONALDS as I was fumbling around, putting their bags in and so on.

As I was driving off there was quite a long queue of traffic at the lights s we were sort of parallel with this woman's car and my DSs and their friend started shouting MCDONALDS again through the open windows to this woman who had been giving them dirty looks as they were shouting and this time she put her book down and looked at me and said in really terse tones "can't you keep those children under control?"

AIBU to think she was the one being rude? She was parked next to a children's play park and leisure centre and I assumed she was waiting for somebody but if she wanted peace and quiet there were better places to wait? I accept my children shouldn't have been shouting AT her but then they wouldn't have if she hadn't given them a funny look to start with!

OP posts:
SDTGisAnOlympicWolefGenius · 12/08/2012 18:40

Everyone has distracted moments, songbird, and it sounds as if you have serious stuff distracting you right now - and you earn my respect by taking the comments on board and dealing with the children.

Ruprekt · 12/08/2012 18:45

Thank you songbird.

You have restored my faith in the AIBU section.

Let us draw a line under this now.

_

FallenCaryatid · 12/08/2012 18:49

Well done for listening to other people's opinions OP, and doing something to let your children know where the boundaries are.

'but come on for fuck sake people, they were hardly bearing their arses at the woman and shouting "FUCK YOU!"'

Not yet kitkat, but he is only 7. if the OP doesn't start teaching him how you deal with people in public, and what is an appropriate response to a look from a strange adult, then he may well be mooning and swearing at people when he's 12.
Then being the sort of teenager that many others are apprehensive of encountering.

FutTheShuckUp · 12/08/2012 18:50

Oh well at least your child's showing off doesn't involve throwing rocks up in the air and smashing their head open as a result like mine today! Bloody kids

danteV · 12/08/2012 18:54

OP you obviously under stress, from what you have said. and i get you have accepted that yabu.
It just strikes me as strange that even afterwards you still were not sure.
In the light of the info you have given, do you have any support in rl?

Viviennemary · 12/08/2012 18:54

Why on earth were children allowed to shout at this woman. How totally rude. What on earth did she do to merit such treatment.

Thistledew · 12/08/2012 18:54

I'm sorry for the difficulties you are having OP and hope that it all works out for your family soon. I am glad that you did tell off the boys as it was they rather than the woman who was being rude.

Hopefully your boys will not grow up to be the sort of teenagers who will give a stranger a mouthful of abuse for 'disrespecting' when that stranger has done no more than give them a peeved look at them causing a disturbancelarking about in public.

Kladdkaka · 12/08/2012 19:05

OP, you made a mistake. You realise that now and have taken steps to make sure it doesn't happen again. Forget about it now and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

MrMiyagi · 12/08/2012 19:08

LRD, "can't you keep those children under control?", in this case, is not nasty, rather a perfectly valid question.

Camusfearna · 12/08/2012 19:12

I'm not sure how her giving your DS a 'strange look' constitutes her being rude? I was just walking out of a supermarket this afternoon and a there was a group of young chaps behind me, one of them let out a roar and just about frightened the life out of me, and I turned to see what was going on. By these standards, I was being rude too and I definitely wasn't!

LRDtheFeministDragon · 12/08/2012 19:14

I disagree, MrM, but in any case, it seems a bit off to keep on about this when the OP has been so gracious.

HeadfirstOverTheHighJump · 12/08/2012 19:32

Actually I don't think they were being rude. A bit high spirited, over excited and cheeky, yes, and you should have told them to pack it in at the time but they weren't giving her the finger.

If they were doing it to me I'd have shouted something silly back or stuck out my tongue, but then I have a childish streak Grin

I also read the McDonads typo as McGonads!

flixy102 · 12/08/2012 19:55

I was a bit miffed to read early on in the thread (sorry can't remember the posters name) an opinion that the lady getting shouted at 'mustn't have any children'.

I don't have any children of my own but that doesn't make me some sort of child hater. I can still recognise when children are being rude, and also when they are lovely.

SoleSource · 12/08/2012 20:05

Wasn't you embarrassed of their behavioir? My parents wouldn't have tolerated that behaviour of me when I was 7. Maybe I am a dinosaur. You do realise you might be encouragibg them to behave like this in future, like little loud thugs.

SoleSource · 12/08/2012 20:07

Gawd I am a dinosaur.

DoItOnce · 12/08/2012 20:19

OP, don't give this any more thought than it deserves. The kids were naughty you dealt with it. It's finished.

Now if they regularly did things like this then that would be another matter, but it sounds like a one off.

My nieghbours DC's do this sort of thing to me very occasionally , they are young and just being silly. if I was the Mum would tell them to stop it but she doesn't seem to notice Confused. She is very nice just a bit over-wrought I just make a joke back to them or disappear into the shed.

Anyway OP, I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening Smile

booomy · 12/08/2012 20:35

Shows the behaviour of children that eat mcdonalds!!!

AmazingBouncingFerret · 12/08/2012 21:43

"Shows the behaviour of children that eat mcdonalds!!!"

LMFAO.

Are you serious?

saintmerryweather · 12/08/2012 22:31

id have shouted back at them and it wouldnt have been polite....then regretted it later. but still, i wouldnt tolerate someone elses kids shouting 'at me'

DoItOnce · 12/08/2012 22:45

Actually, just had a rethink and I think you should have replied to her Cant you keep those children under control by repeatedly shouting McDonalds at her.

that would have been the mature thing to do

FartyMcTarty · 12/08/2012 22:51

Fnar. Am I wrong to find it funny that the OP couldn't identify bad behaviour without consulting MN first, and only after the event gave her DCs a delayed bollocking?

Grin
Original poster
songbird33 · 12/08/2012 23:16

better late than never hey :)

OP posts:
GhouliaYelps · 12/08/2012 23:24

Yes v rude but this shit happens sometimes. You have given them
A ticking off and that's grand. Bit late but hey you admit you got it wrong so all is good.

roundtable · 12/08/2012 23:32

Well done songbird, you've shown good grace.

Hope your dh makes a speedy recovery.

Original poster
songbird33 · 12/08/2012 23:51

he comes out on Tuesday, thank you for asking :)

OP posts: