*drumroll* I have a super soaker AIBU for you

[supersoakershouter]

End of term last week and there was a class beach party (we live on the coast). Me and DS arrived and the kids already there had a variety of water-shooting devices which they were firing at one another, including a couple of super soakers. Tacit rule seemed to be to soak one another (they're all in swimwear) but not the adults who were sitting outside one parent's beach hut, fully clothed, drinking tea.

DS then decided to go to play in the sea with his body board which was quite a distance off so I moved to sit on the edge of the prom in front of the beach hut, finishing my tea before I jumped down onto the beach to follow him (I couldn't see him properly from the deckchair).

As I sat there, one boy fired his super soaker at my back. His mum said 'darling, don't fire your gun at the mums' and he laughed and did it again. I turned and made a cross face at him and he did it again. I was then absolutely drenched front and back. So I shouted at him, really loudly.

His mum said nothing apart from the first 'darling ...' which he just ignored. I did shout a bit too loudly but the water was freezing and I really, really didn't want him to do it again.

The kid looked shocked but stopped. I apologised to his mum for shouting and explained that the water was really cold and it was a shock and she didn't really respond. Since then, I've texted to apologise again for shouting but she's not replied. Was IBU? Am I going to be a social pariah when school starts again?

YANBU.

But it's not going to stop the other mom's from thinking you're uptight and high strung.

I'm not sure how much you lost your temper, but if you're going to be in the vicinity of a water gun fight getting wet is one of those things that might happen.

Personally, I would have dumped a bucket over his head. But then, I'd probably be in the water fight too.

I used to do similar things as a child, squirting people that weren't part of the water wars. Or an adult would shoot me and go in the "no shoot zone" so I'd follow him and get everyone wet. As a kid, I never understood why adults got so wound up over a little water.

Most times I squirted someone that didn't want to get wet, I had my dad hauling me over his shoulders and tossing me in the pool. The threat of getting tossed in again made me target my dad and run like mad made me think twice.

The mother should have distracted him and found him a better target.

Unfair as it is though, you're going to be seen as the unreasonable one, even though you really weren't.

YANBU. Drippy mother ( as SirChenjin so eloquently put it) should've got her son to apologise to you before dragging him off by the ear to give him a rollocking for being a cheeky little shit.
I wouldn't even have texted her tbh and I'm Mrs superpolite who worries about everything.

You were within your rights to object. He got a warning and should have stopped. But his mum should have apologised profusely to you instead of just sitting there. You were thoroughly soaked and she didn't, rude , rude , rude.
I wouldn't have texted her to apologise it gives out the vibe that you were in the wrong. From what you say I don't think you were. If he was shocked it was because an adult said stop and meant it, he's clearly not used to that.

Kids are 7 so not babies. I've never shouted at someone else's child to that extent before which is why it felt like I'd crossed a line.

She didn't apologise, no. She does have a much younger child though who is that age where his confidence far outweighs his abilities so she may have been too busy watching him to have really seen what her older child was up to.

I think I did overreact - it's only water after all and he didn't ruin my clothes or anything so I do think it deserved an apology. Also she's (as you may have gathered) not that great at telling him off herself so I can imagine she doesn't take kindly to other people doing it.

Thanks all - I feel a bit better about losing it now. I shall bugger off on my holidays tomorrow and not worry about it any more :)

You sound lovely. I think it is to your credit that you are questioning your reaction. But yes, 7 is old enough to know better, and to not be traumatised by facing the consequence of his behaviour.