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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

would you have told these children off?

40 replies

butterflyballs · 10/04/2015 18:03

We were at a farm today. In the main green area there is a pond and a huge fenced off playpark. On the green are lots of picnic benches and there are lots of chickens, ducks and geese just roaming about.

We were on a bench eating lunch, we had a couple of chickens and a duck hanging about looking hopeful while we ate and they were amusing to watch, coming close as we were just sat pretty quietly.

There was a group of kids, aged between four and eight (at a guess) running round the green, screaming at the animals, chasing them and making them panic, they chased a load of ducks into the pond and one girl tried to kick one of them. She went flying as she tried to kick it and ended up on the floor next to us. I told her it served her right and then told all of them to pack it in, to stop chasing the animals, that it was cruel and they should know better.

They all slunk off back to the three adults they were with, there was a discussion and two of the mums looked at us but didn't come across. They then gave them bread to throw for the animals who went running across and then the bloody kids started screeching at them again.

There was a huge play area the kids could have run about in, I was so pissed off that these stupid women seemed to think it was fine to let their brats chase the animals about trying to kick them.

OP posts:

AlternativeTentacles · 10/04/2015 18:11

I probably would have shouted it at them - I am often found shouting at people across the canal where we live to leave the bloody ducks alone.

MerryKat · 10/04/2015 18:13

YANBU! I too went to a farm today and witnessed two boys chasing ducks and geese round an enclosure. To be fair the boys were very little about 3 or 4 but I was surprised there was no parent in view as the animals were clearly flapping about trying to get away and the boys were blocking them and chasing them. A woman did come and get them eventually but she seemed oblivious to what they had been up to!

Cantbelievethisishappening · 10/04/2015 18:14

YANBU. I would have done the same.

Sixgeese · 10/04/2015 18:28

YANBU, but then I am the person, who at the local farm this week, told a child off for trying to get a guinea pig out of the "safe area" where if a guinea goes into people are meant to leave them alone and tried to give a parent back the litter her child had dropped in the guinea pig pen.

The child listened, the parent did not.

MrsTerryPratchett · 10/04/2015 18:30

It is one of the few times I 'parent' other people's children. I will not see animals hurt or chased into panic.

Satsumafairy · 10/04/2015 18:32

I've done the same when I saw some lads kicking birds once, they were young teens. I was so outraged I felt like I was having an out of body experience! I roared at them "What are you doing? Those are living creatures. Go away!" They looked very taken aback and ran off.

ThatBloodyWoman · 10/04/2015 18:35

I woukdn't have tokd them off -rather reported them to the staff.
In that way,the threat of chucking threm out could add weight.

hoobypickypicky · 10/04/2015 18:41

YANBU. I'd have shouted and then some! I can't abide nasty little brats who chase and torment animals and I can't abide adults who let them do it.

Hopelass · 10/04/2015 18:59

YANBU. It winds me up no end. Not quite the same but I was in the park today with DS and saw a boy of about 7 or 8 kicking the heads off the daffodils . Mum was wandering along nattering to another mum and saw him but didn't say anything to him

Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost · 10/04/2015 19:11

Begs the question where were the parents. It shouldnt have been down to a strAnger to tell them off. Not a pop at you OP. A pop at their parenting.
Parents these days not all but a majority seem to have allergy to chastising their little darlings.

Yarp · 10/04/2015 19:14

Would not have done it quite the way you did it, but I would say something to them. I find my stern look works well on other people's children.

I hate it when parents allow their children to chase birds

eyebags63 · 10/04/2015 19:18

yanbu, I would have given them a thick ear.

The parents should know better too, obviously.

RaskolnikovsGarret · 10/04/2015 19:29

Why do some children do this? I saw children scaring a beautiful heron yesterday. I asked my DDs who don't do this, and they couldn't work out why either. I hate it, it seems so cruel, and I'm not even an animal lover as such.

Original poster

butterflyballs · 10/04/2015 20:09

The parents were across the other side of the green but although they could see the kids, didn't seem bothered about watching them. It was just this one group, all the other kids we saw were so well behaved, in other words weren't tormenting the animals. I did speak to a member of staff later, it's a very large place with few staff and the guy said kids like that aren't uncommon. Which I find very sad.

Dp and I were sat there waiting for one of them to fall in the pond. I'm not saying we wouldn't have pulled them out but we would have laughed.

We are going back tomorrow so hope the little shits aren't there. We've bought a huge bag of maize to feed the chickens (we asked the staff today if it was ok).

OP posts:

Dieu · 10/04/2015 20:27

Good on you for telling them off!

Marmaladedandelions · 10/04/2015 20:29

Would definitely have said something.

Am always infinitely grateful for my children when I read these threads!

Original poster

butterflyballs · 10/04/2015 20:43

My 9 year old can be lively and bouncy and talks endlessly but I too am grateful that she can behave appropriately when around animals.

Ironically we chased some sheep today. Yes, I know! But they'd got out of their field and two staff members were trying to get them back in and they kept running the wrong way. We were asked to help (way down the far end of the farm, only ones down there -blissful) so dd got to help with herding the sheep. At that moment in time I was thinking about mn and the sheep chasing kids.

OP posts:

PurpleSwift · 10/04/2015 20:45

YANBU that's awful. And bread is bad for them.

Original poster

butterflyballs · 10/04/2015 20:58

I know. Dd wanted to feed them so instead of letting her chuck her sandwich at them we bought a massive bag of maize for £2.50 at the pet shop on the way home and two lettuce for the ducks so we can go back tomorrow.

We bought an annual pass to save money but I think savings might get spent on animal food.

OP posts:

NurseRoscoe · 10/04/2015 23:20

I would be mortified if my kids did this and if I had somehow missed it (my kids are younger so are watched like hawks at the moment) I would appreciate you telling them off and would probably have thanked and apologised to you!

TeaAfficionado · 10/04/2015 23:26

I once saw children chasing ducklings and trying to pick them up - was with my parents and we were debating saying something. At that moment the duckling pooed on the child. Which brought the chasing to an abrupt halt. Felt very sorry for the ducks though....

42andGaffaTape · 11/04/2015 00:46

YANBU - I would have let rip but I am a nanny (of too many years) and find it second nature to sort out misbehaving children. Tbh sometimes the lecture stern warning comes before I know I have said anything.

also a vegan so a double whammy for me

kali110 · 11/04/2015 00:54

Yanbu.
Don't understand why parents think it's acceptable to let their kids do this!
Oh yes, because theyre only animals

catzpyjamas · 11/04/2015 07:20

YANBU
We were visiting a lake this week. DD 7 shouted out "NO!" when some children around her age started throwing stones in the water next to the swans and ducks. I asked them to do it away from the birds, which they did, but they didn't seem to know why I asked? The adults who were with them only seemed interested in taking their photos, not supervising their behaviour and didn't even notice when one of them went into the water.
Also we had taken seed mix to feed the birds, having explained to DD why human food was bad for them, only to see them getting fed chips, crisps, ice cream, cake... She started to question, rather loudly, why grown-ups were giving the swans bad food and wouldn't that make them ill?

Mehitabel6 · 11/04/2015 07:29

I would have done the same. YANBU

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