More of a was IBU rather than an AIBU? Me, DH and DS were leaving a shopping centre this evening. I was pushing DS in his buggy and we were approaching the lift to the car park. A family of two adults and three children were before us and the son, aged about 12/13 dropped some sweet wrappers as he entered the lift (his parents had already entered and he was the last of their family).
Without thinking I immediately said "excuse me you've dropped your rubbish" and the boy went bright red and stepped outside the lift to pick it up (it was clear that he was embarrassed) and he said "sorry" as he went to pick it up. Might I add that he had dropped it deliberately not by accident like as if he had pulled his hand from his pocket.
In the lift his mother asked him where he had got the sweets from and he said it was old rubbish. Nothing more was said but as we exited the lift and we walked away the father said "some people thing they're so clever, he's a child". His attitude and tone was really rude and it was clear he was having a dig at me.
Was IBU to say something to the boy or should I have just ignored his litter dropping ways? If it had been my son and someone had said something I would have thanked them and probably laughed at my son's embarrassment and said something along the lines that this would be a lesson he won't forget in a hurry. What example was the father setting for his children? I would add (just to set the scene) that the family were all well dressed and they got into a 4x4 in the car park.