To think this man was just rude?

[QuestioningStuff]

Shopping with DC earlier, we got to the cereal aisle and I asked DS (3yo) what cereal he wanted. I knew full well that he would say Weetabix as that's what he always has.

A man butted in before DS could answer and told me I should give him oats and fruit. That all these cereals are bad for them. I told him to mind his own business and took the weetabix. He called after me that I was rude. I said he was rude to comment on what a stranger feeds their child.

WIBU? He was rude wasn't he? I will be the first to admit that we don't live off of Kale and Chia Seeds (whatever the hell they are) but it's Weetabix ffs!

[bialystockandbloom]

Very bizarre of him to comment on a total stranger's shopping. Even if you had a trolley load of lard it's still none of his business.

I would have reacted just how you did, think you were justified in being quite snappy with him.

[BoffinMum]

Oh FFS has he nothing better to do?
Bet he would't have picked on a hairy arsed trucker shopping with his kids. They always go for women as they assume we will be soft targets and then they can score a point and feel smug.

[DoJo]

Offering an unsolicited opinion on someone's choices before they are even made is much ruder than telling them to keep their 'advice' to themselves IMO. Plus, there's no definitive 'better' when it comes to cereal - for a child who would otherwise refuse breakfast altogether, something in their stomach is usually better than nothing (especially something completely innocuous such as Weetabix), and personally, I have discovered that apparently I am someone for whom oats and fruit are definitely NOT a good option for breakfast due to the effect on my blood sugar. Sharing ill-informed opinions with someone in an aggressive way is just so completely un-called for that I can't really believe anyone is defending him!

[VenusRising]

It's a red flag, you need to LTB

No need to do anything but smile, nod and thank people for their unasked for advice I find.

[Only1scoop]

And call the cops

[derxa]

ill judged cereal recommendation This thread is making me cry with laughter. He was being helpful chatting you up

[hackmum]

He was rude, and you were rude back, which is fine.

My rule is that one should never be the person to initiate rudeness, but if someone is rude to you then it's perfectly legitimate to be rude back.

[hackmum]

The trouble with nodding and smiling is that it encourages them to do it to others.

People who are being twats should be called out on their twattishness.

[Andylion]

I think Weetabix is at the good end of the cereal spectrum, isn't it? Goodness knows what he would have said if you'd been buying choco-sugar-honey-syrup nutflakes. Some people are very hard to please.

I don't think he knew at this point that her DS was going to pick Weetabix. He probably thought DS would choose something filled with sugar. But to comment on it was out of order.

[fulldutypaid]

He was an inflated up his own arse carrot crunching do gooder and you told him what for. I'd say it's even

[Only1scoop]

You should have informed him ....'I always get my oats' along with a 'fruity' wink.

[WorkingClassHeroine]

Hilarious that some posters seem to think that he was 'right' to make a comment on your shopping and you were rude...what a strange place mumsnet is!

FWIW, I think you let him off lightly. But I'm almost impressed at the balls on him for thinking it was appropriate to stick his nose in in the first place.

Seeing as he's a self appointed member of the kid's cereal police, you should have asked for some ID.

[SaucyJack]

Serves him right.

[NerrSnerr]

I can't believe people think the op was rude. Of course it is really rude to comment on someone else's shopping.

I few months back I had been up all night with my poorly baby who was on antibiotics for a throat infection. On no sleep I popped into tesco and bought some jars of fruity baby food that I thought might be gentle on her throat. I had some fucker tell me I shouldn't be buying that stuff (probably a mumsnetter). I knew if I answered I would shout or cry so I just ignored her and she went off huffing about how rude I was.

[Jakadaal]

He was rude to comment on your shopping but you were rude to tell him to mind his own business - a simple dignified silence would have done. You come across very defensive even on here to people whose opinion you have asked but clearly don't want to hear

[Amummyatlast]

Of course he was rude! If he had done this to me, on a good day I would have just glared at him, and on a bad day I would have told him to piss off. Now that would be rude....

[WorkingClassHeroine]

The poor bloke would probably have a shit fit if he could see my 4yo ds2, who's currently sitting on the sofa eating pork scratchings

[nebulae]

I'd have told him to mind his own beeswax as well. I don't think you were rude.

One thing I can't abide is checkout operators commenting on what I'm buying. Whether it's positive comments or negative. They should be trained to keep their gobs shut.

[Arsicles]

He was wrong but your response allows him to just go off in a huff thinking you were a cow. "Mind your own business" is plain rude - better if you'd been assertive instead "That's for me to decide actually, please don't comment on my shopping". Maybe he'd have taken that on board.

[Gruntfuttock]

Am I on the wrong board? How come no one's told you you should have called 101, or that they might be able to identify him from CCTV and you should call the police now?

I was about to say he could be a cereal offender, but decided against that.

Anyway, IMO he was rude, but you were ruder. However, if he hadn't said anything, nor would you, so it's his fault.

[Goshthatsspicy]

I would have just said "oh" and probably laughed.
I'm 44 though. At my age l really have better things to worry about...
A younger me might have wondered what he was 'getting at'
Your response indicates you have youth on your side - not a bad thing.

[Pepperpot99]

You did right, OP. If someone is deliberately rude where there is absolutely no provocation then there is nothing wrong with being rude back, IMHO. Why should the OP just smile and tolerate it?

[Lynnm63]

I don't think you were rude OP. Id probably have given him my best Robert DeNiro impression 'you talkin to me' on a good day and 'fuck off' on a bad day. I. Love looking at other peoples shopping and get quite misty eyed at the 20 something's buying wine and ready meals when im buying enough food to feed the 5000! I have never felt to urge to tell someone what to buy although I do sometimes offer advice along the lines of 'ooh I like that one too' or 'I prefer X' if someone is looking indecisive.

[mileend2bermondsey]

Why has this got your back up so much? Haven't you better things to fret about rather than some strange comment from a random person youll never see again.

And FWIW you were rude, regardless of what he said.

[TheStripyGruffalo]

Nod and smile. It's none of his business. I once got told off by and old woman in the supermarket because I told my son that he could have whatever cake he wanted. She soon shut up when I told her that we'd been at the hospital and had just been told that DS had leukaemia. People should never comment on other people's parenting.
(it was years ago and the hospital got it wrong BTW)