to think you shouldn't let dc kill ants, ladybirds, etc./scare birds, cats, etc.

[user1469643462]

I'm probably going to get people telling me that I'm being OTT, but is just me or does anyone else get a bit annoyed when you see dc chasing birds or clapping at cats or even to the point where dc wack cats with things and parents are just standing there doing nothing? Or where dc see how many ants they can kill, wtaf? Is it just me?

YANBU I feel the same way. I teach my children to respect and care for all living things. Goes for trees etc, too - can't stand to see kids kicking at tree bark or pulling over a sapling deliberately etc and their parents say nothing.

Gulls don't 'attack ' you. They will swoop in for food if you're waving it around.

Totally agree OP and most PP. It makes me very angry when I see kids chasing birds. I've had to explain to DD that she is not to run after birds - she wants to 'cuggle ' them (all of them - chickens, ducks, pigeons, and especially swans). It's not hard - it's just the same as I explained to her not to run up to strange dogs and 'cuggle'' them. When I see kids not just running after but trying to kick birds whilst parents ignore what they are doing it makes my blood boil and I admit I pull my judgy pants right up.

Seagulls are not harmless. They will attack if you have food. I'll chase them off myself

Agree. The seagulls in Cornwall are fucking horrible. One swooped down and pecked DS because he was holding an ice cream and another tried pinching his pasty (seperate occasions).

I agree that children should be shown to respect animals but the poster at the start of the thread who took a flea to the bottom of the garden? Get some perspective, please.

I live by the sea. The gulls here are enormous. They don't attack people. They try to pinch food. They're not bloodthirsty vicious creatures.

We were on the beach last week, eating chips. About 8 gulls were near us, eyeing up the food. Waved our arms at them occasionally and they buggered off.

People love to dramatise the behaviour of animals trying to get food.

I don't think for a moment that a child is actually going to hurt pigeons or ducks by chasing them. Or that they are at all traumatized by the experience.

But disturbing living things going about their business as entertainment is not a mindset I want to encourage in my children.

And chasing sheep or cows in a field can cause distress or injury-so why do it to any animal?

Definitely not OTT. I was fuming last year when some (normal very sweet and gentle) boys at nursery found some daddy long legs and pulled their legs off. Doubt they'll be doing that again.

And if any child hurts any of my animals, well, they're getting a slap and I'll take the consequences.

Last year my mum's (old, gentle, small) dog was sitting in our front garden while my mum washed the car. Two little shits darlings came down the road and start yelling at dog. Dog freaks out and runs down road to my mum with kids chasing her and parents laughing. Dog turns and growls at them. Kids parents flip out at my mum who gave them very short shrift.

That's not the first time this has happened. Our cat when I was little also had its tail pulled several times by the eight year old next door. When it turned and scratched the kid, again his mother had a fit and demanded we get rid of the cat

Pisses me off. Especially when on here you get hysterical posts from people who call in dog control when a dog so much as looks in their direction.

I have two cats. If my DS (when old enough to know better) pulls their tails and they take a swipe at him he will throughly deserve it.

Agree most definitely.
Scaring, hurting, killing or otherwise causing any animal distress is absolutely not on.
If an animal is genuinely being a pest and needing to be dealt with , then someone with correct tools and experience should do it in the swiftes most humane way possible.
Nephew (15) and I spent this morning with our guns shooting crows which are bothering my free range chickens in the farm yard (quick and clean deaths - necessary tor protect livestock).
I would be very unimpressed if he ever (say) threw stones at a cat or beat a dog or pulled legs off spiders or anything like that though.

I always taught my kids that as we can't create life we should avoid harming it if at all possible. They have all grown into animal loving and generally small creature kind people.
I dislike slugs as I love gardening,, but I can't bring myself to kill them with poison because they are doing what they are designed to do! I rescue bees in the house and even wasps.. and try and rescue spiders from the cats.

I once (with DD1's help) managed to rescue a dragon fly that had flown into our conservatory. It was exhausted and when I managed to gently remove it from where it was trapped, it sat on my hand for a few minutes.. we got an amazing photo of it in all it's multi coloured glory before it flew off.

I will happily reprimand any kids I see hurting live creatures no matter how small. I accept that sometimes it is necessary to dispose of animals humanely, but not casual cruelty, never.

I agree.

I'm not at all bashful about telling other people's kids off either.

yes i hate it. Im trying to teach my 1 year old to be gentle with animals and yet when i take him to feed the ducks you always get some toddlers running and shouting to scare the ducks away on purpose whilst their parents just stand by and do nothing. Not only is it awful for the ducks but i dont want my boy growing up thinking that is a fun game or its what big kids do. Being agressive to animals for fun is totally awful i just dont understand why any parent would let their child do it.

I think referring to birds as 'evil' is the best example of it on this thread and it came from someone who let's their child chase birds so...

Good point

I think all creatures have a right to go about their business and have respect for every living thing - I have never deliberately killed or hurt anything except mosquitoes in self defence and would Never let my children do so either, or scare them; we are regularly feeding the pigeons and ducks at our local lake - DC's do try to chase them (they are 1 and 3 and struggle to understand that they are scared they just find them funny scurrying away) and I always tell them they shouldn't offer them food then chase them, it's unkind.... Pretty pointless for 1yr old as he doesn't understand but 3yr old definitely gets it and will stop.

The exception for me is aggressive seagulls and Starlings; we live by the sea in Cornwall and it's not even a matter of 'waving food about' (we have lived here a long time and are not that stupid) you genuinely can barely eat anything outside at this time of year without them having a go - I have had them take a chunk out of my hand before now, narrowly missing my face. Not something I am going to even take a chance with with DC and will happily let them chase them away. They need to learn they Cannot approach people. I would hate to think there are some silly bloodytourists who don't have to put up with this year round "judging" my parenting for this and would happily challenge anyone who said anything - they have no idea! Actually said something to a guy the other day who was feeding his chips to seagulls and when I said a gull had tried to take food from my toddler just the day before he actually laughed and said he found them 'funny'.....
Arsehole.