would you have told these children off?

[butterflyballs]

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.

I'm on the fence. Yes, poor behaviour, but at the same time it's the end of a long 2 weeks. Maybe the mums did a quick risk assessment and decided it was fine for their kids to run around while they enjoyed a few minutes of peace and quiet?

I always see kids chasing pigeons in the park, never thought anything of it. Parents may have a similar view onf chasing these farm birds.

I just know that kids can be energetic and annoying ans parents let things slide when they themselves are nackered.

Yes I would have told them off and then reported them to the staff.

YANBU.

Running around to let off steam, fine.

Letting off steam by deliberately frightening birds or animals and taking pleasure from it, not fine.

It doesn't take much effort on behalf of the parents to say "go run around in the park, you're scaring the birds" even if they are knackered at the end of two weeks off school.

You don't have the right to enjoy the peace and quiet if it means you are enjoying it at everyone else's expense, or by leaving your children to run wild and torment someone or something else, be that birds, animals, or other kids in the play area.

Good on you. Handled very well I thought.

YANBU I hate when kids do that.We have 5 children and 2 of our children are autistic and none of them have ever done anything like that because they've been raised to be gentle and careful around all animals.

Those parents are idiots.

i would have told them off but i also think its pretty normal behaviour for young children to want to make the ducks fly up. I wouldn't be thinking too bad of them but i would correct them. It takes a village etc

Yes, I would have told them off. I would also have says something to the parents along the lines of 'you really shouldn't let them scare the animals' and I would have mentioned it to the staff as well.

Said*

The adults were completely wrong to allow the children to do it.
If the staff of the place say its common for children to do it,I'd wonder just how much they care about their birds tbh.
I'm assuming they have signs up telling people its not allowed.

I would have reported it in no uncertain terms and if they looked like they wouldn't address it (farm owner) asked them if they condoned animal cruelty. The mothers need telling that if they allow children to be cruel towards animals they can't come back.

YANBU

Do a search using "Greek" "flick" "child" "terrapin" and you will see you are definitely supported in the main.
Someone will come along if they haven't already advising a saaad faced explanation to the child followed by actual tears of the thought of children being told to pack it in...

When I visited family as a child I was properly told off for chasing chickens. They get stressed and don't lay. People on working farms would surely put animal welfare quite high it's part of the educational experience hopefully.

We were at a small zoo the other week when a 9 (ish) girl picked up are a largish stick and three it at the animals we were shocked it happened so quickly.

When she picked up another one I said to her "Do Not Let Your Daughter Throw That" in my best Brown Owl voice.

You would have thought I would have slapped the child, the mother screamed at me just as a keeper arrived. She demanded I was banned but the keepers had seen it from the other side and were rushing over to deal, they pointed pot that they hadn't got the man power to deal with me as they were going to be too busy throwing them out... you could hear her shouting all the way too the exit.

So Good on you.

Kids can let off steam or be energetic all they want, no excuse to abuse animals. That includes pigeons.