To think allowing your dc to chase ducks / birds is just wrong

[Fairylea]

Just come back from a visit to the nearby pond to feed the ducks with my family. Ds and dd were enjoying throwing some duck seed and looking at them.

Along came 2 boys of a similar age to my dd (9) with their mum who proceeded to run at our gathering of ducks and frighten the life out of them. Effectively enjoying making them run away and scaring them. The mum looked bemused until she saw me glare at her and then she half heartedly said to the boys "oh don't do that, that family is feeding them".

Now yes some might say they are just ducks, does it matter etc. But I've seen so many dc do this recently (we visit the pond a lot) and parents seem to think it's some kind of acceptable game. It's cruel and unnecessary. Feed the ducks or birds ffs don't bloody chase them!

I admit it's perhaps rather petty but I think it's so wrong to teach children to take delight in scaring animals even if it is just chasing them.

Rant over. And breathe.

No idea if I'm being unreasonable or not. Surely I can't be the only one who feels like this?

YANBU. Children should learn to respect nature and animals and treat them with consideration.

Yes of course they're vermin. But that's not their fault, and they don't deserve to be chased any more than foxes deserve to be hunted.

My eldest has to get birds away from him after he was swooped upon and hurt by a bastard seagull- Ds was sat on the bench next to me.

Now he has to shoo them away as he's bloody terrified. I do try to get him away from doing it.

DS2 OTOH is part seagull and seemingly wants to be part of any seagull flock around. He's too young to understand that he's actually scaring them. However much he's told.

I hate birds, it is my kids jobs to chase them away.

I wouldn't let then disturb someone who was feeding them nor a large group of birds (because then fuckers will all take off together and they gross me out).

But no, no sympathy for birds, vile things.

I don't like it, but my autistic son chases them. Short of keeping him on a lead, there's not much I can do

Sorry to sound erm well, a little thick but why is it wrong to feed ducks bread? At our local park the ducks love a bit of hovis best of both. Hmm unless it has a hulk affect on them, because they are pretty aggressive and tend to hiss and bite each other a lot. (Wonder if the mummy ducks tell the little ones off for their naughty behaviour..)

Pet hate of mine.
I don't see why another animal being scared is amusement. I also don't see why them being scared is any different to us being scared?

YANBU. I'm with you all the way Fairylea.

I see children doing this frequently to pigeons, ducks, peacocks....they like it because they get a reaction, because the birds are obviously scared. Normally the namby pamby parents are standing nearby doing nothing so I do call out "Don't chase the birds!"

All the people saying that it is a non-issue and too trivial to worry about can't see the bigger picture - it's the small things that make the world a good or bad place to live in & deliberately tormenting animals is one of the bad things. When did this become part of a normal childhood ffs ??? Nothing anyone can say will make me change my mind on that.

havent read the whole thread, but I agree with the OP. I struggle to contain myself when kids chase birds. I always thought it was my particular foible, as I have never come across anyone else who thinks its out of order. It makes me feel a bit irrational, but I hate it!

I'm with fakebook on this.

People choose to go out to a park where there are ducks. People go to a city centre for shopping etc, and there happens to be flocks of pigeons. Pigeons will swoop around as people move around. Being chased by a child is probably less stressful to them as moving around crowds of people is their normal than it is for park ducks. There is also the issue of ruining other peoples' pleasure of feeding ducks.

DC won't be encouraged to chase any animals, ducks or pigeons. I want them to respect and appreciate animals/ wildlife. I do reserve the right to chase off the corpulent pigeons scoffing my lawn seed- that is a kindness to them, as they need the excercise to stop them having heart attcks from over indulgence.

I do wonder at how many people seem to be ignorant of the dangers of geese and swans, especially to very small children. I'm not one to pass comment to other parents, but I have when I've seen small children getting near nesting swans. I don't (and I'm sure the parents don't) want to see the consquences of what can happen if the swans get riled.

It may not be the crime of the century but teching small children that it is ok to frighten and upset other living things just for fun, is disgusting and sends out a message that that sort of behaviour is ok and even acceptable.

I understand, although have no survey to quote, that many of those convicted of violent crime were, in some way or other, cruel to animals, in thier youth.

Parents who send out the message that frightening living things is an acceptable passtime, may well find it difficult, further down the line, to explain why bullying other children or tying a firework to a cat's tale is unacceptable.

However, those sort of parents probably see no wrong in that either.

Unkind to chase & frighten animals of any sort. There is a definite link between cruelty to animals & cruelty to people, i.e. that those who are cruel tend to be abusive in their relationships.

If I as an adult ran at your child screaming and waving my arms in a deliberate attempt to scare them for no reason than I gain pleasure out of seeing your child in tears and scared, you'd be furious. And rightly so. So why is it OK for your child to do it to birds?

It's exactly the same situation, someone gaining pleasure from having power over another living thing. Teaching respect is about learning how to use that power in a responsible way, which is why I'd never allow my child to chase other living things or behave in a way that is disrespectful to them.

I don't think they are scared they are acting out of instinct.They wouldn't be back 10 seconds later if they were frightened

Ffs. A small toddler does not run at pigeons with flailing arms and screaming. My DS holds his hands out and walks through them laughing and that's what I've seen other children do too. Why are children being labelled as "cruel" and "vindictive" for doing something completely innocent?

There is a definite link between cruelty to animals & cruelty to people, i.e. that those who are cruel tend to be abusive in their relationships.

^^Yes probably, if you torture animals and slowly abuse them until death.
you have to have a pretty fucked up mind if you make the decision to kill/abuse a person or an animal out of your own free will. Chasing pigeons is not a first step towards becoming an abuser! As I've mentioned before, I chased pigeons as a child, I'm not an abuser.

...deliberately tormenting animals is one of the bad things. When did this become part of a normal childhood ffs ???

Children have been running through pigeons since forever. It's not a new phenomenon. You need to calm down.
Bloody hell some people like over exaggerating situations.

I agree baby.

I think it's mean to torment an animal on purpose. I'd have explained to my dc why it's unkind if they ever did it (not that they did).

its a non issue.

If the animals were scared, they wouldnt come back

If a bird/duck was being a pest I'd chase it off, but running after them for no reason seems a bit unkind.

It might not seem scared but if it isn't bothered about being chased on some level why would it run away at all?

Because they don't want to be caught. Flapping a few feet away and then returning hardly indicates mortal fear and torment.

I really think some people on this thread are imposing human feelings on birds. They aren't 'scared' it's natural instinct to fly away if they see a sudden movement. They aren't all quaking in their boots and needing therapy to get over the nasty toddlers running at them

As others have said, I don't think it's a black and white issue (unless the child is chasing penguins). Hulking great 9 year old terrorising ducks - not on. Giggling 18 month year old waddling through a flock of pigeons who can only barely be arsed to move out of the way... are there really people who lose sleep over this?