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!

[TiredButFineODFOJ]

What a knob! Actually I have a line for men people who do this kind of interfering in my day, I just ask them how they know me. Then when they say they don't know me, I tell them to keep their nose out.

[FelineLou]

There is always the old PA
"How kind of you to take an interest"
and carry on.

[Topaz25]

You are not obligated to be polite to a strange man who approaches you with unsolicited advice. I don't see anything wrong with telling him to mind his own business.

[OnlyLovers]

No wonder women feel they have to nod and smile their way through life, never upsetting anyone, being polite if the response this OP is 'YOU were rude' 'YOU were aggressive', 'YOU should have ignored him'

Quite. Put up and shut up, eh, laydeeez?

[gandalf456]

I don't think we should worry ourselves with what parents feed their children - so long as the children are fed, it's the parents' business.

[IKnowIAmButWhatAreYou]

After a year of leaving an abusive relationship with 2 young children

Am I the only one who's interested in how these 2 children were being abusive to the OP??

[IKnowIAmButWhatAreYou]

I'd treat it much the same as I would when a random old dear feels the need to comment on some aspect of my life.

Nod, Smile, Ignore.....

It's my Same-Sex, Equal Opportunities Solution (Pat. Pending)

[BlahBlahUsername]

IKnowIAmButWhatAreYou Nope,. but you're the only disingenuous grammar-nazi interested in being a knob to a survivor of domestic abuse. Well done...

[laureywilliams]

Interesting that he wasn't receptive to your advice to 'mind your own business' but presumably thought you should be grateful for his suggestion.

I wonder if he'd have offered his unsolicited 'wisdom' to another man?

YANBU.

[OnlyLovers]

Confused, small fish add up to big fish though, especially when it comes to sexism, and I think this is a classic example of sexism.

Good on the OP for calling him out on it.

As for not having the time or energy, I bet it didn't take her long to tell him to mind his own.

[TheOddity]

He was rude and you called him on it. Good on you.

[OfaFrenchmind2]

You were not rude, you are just not a limp little thing that 'smiles and nods' at all the patronising garbage a male stranger tells her.

Go you :)

[OnlyLovers]

Well, we obviously disagree but personally I think people telling me patronising things and expecting me to just accept them DO affect my life.

Obviously the OP felt the same in this case too, and felt it worth the energy to respond as she did.

[mileend2bermondsey]

Hahaha yes all of us who think the OP was rude are just shrinking little violets who couldn't say boo to a goose.

Or perhaps we just aren't as defensively agressive as the OP gets over nonsense of no consquence.

I would probably have been a bit bemused and just said 'all right mate' in a kind of way to let him know I wasn't interested in what he had to say. Or just ignored him completely.I wouldn't have replied in a nasty way like the OP because I would assume anyone who was as oblivious to social norms like this man was probably had some sort of problem, and me being a dick isn't going to help.

[OnlyLovers]

Well, no one's said that, mileend, just that it's OK not to be 'polite' sometimes if you want to, as the OP did.

[BettinaMc]

YWNBU. He may have been stating a fact but that doesn't make it ok. Imagine if we all went around stating 'facts' to strangers. "You're a big fat cow"..."You have a very hairy face fancy buying yourself some tweezers", "Do you really think you should be buying that bottle of wine I can see you're nose is a bit pink!" Eh NAW!! Plus - WTAF are we allowed to feed our kids???? Just read an article that said giving my kids rice/rice crispies/rice cakes etc is going to give them cancer. ALso not allowed to feed them "dirty fruit" (i.e. non-organic fruit because the pesticides may be carcinogenic) or wheat...or dairy...or too much fat...or not enough fat...or the wrong kind of fat.....or sugar....or sweetners....or meat!!! Hmmmmm anyone for a bowl of raw organic brocolli. Sorry this has turned into a whole different AIBU!!!!

[Nanny0gg]

I think you were the one in the wrong, he was just stating the truth.

With an unasked-for opinion. He does need to learn to MHOB.

The OP was well within her rights to be as rude as she liked to him.

And what on earth is wrong with Weetabix?

[mileend2bermondsey]

The OP was well within her rights to be as rude as she liked to him

Thats a nice view to have on life. If someones an arsehole, act like an arsehole in return? Ever heard of rising above it? Oh no, that's only for weak 'limp little things' and people who have better things to do

[KellyElly]

He was nosy and irritating and you were a bit rude back.

[IKnowIAmButWhatAreYou]

BlahBlah

[Maudofallhopefulness]

I can do a very withering look that requires very little energy. Perhaps that's the middle ground between 'mind your own' and a nod and smile.

[KathyBeale]

You should have beaten him round the head with a packet of Cheerios, OP. Definitely not rude to call him out on his unsolicited advice - it was none of his business. What did he expect you to say?!

Also, Verbena, why aren't humans meant to eat wheat? Sounds like an odd thing to say.

And I am also VERY fussy about grammar but hardly see anything wrong with that sentence except, perhaps, a missing comma. Not worth being picky about, in my opinion. And certainly not in that context.