AIBU to think children shouldn't be allowed to scare animals?

[ButtercreamIcing]

I am in a seaside town.

I constantly see children (not tiny ones, but 8 and above) running at flocks of baby seagulls and groups of pigeons to make them panic and scatter.

Not once have I seen a parent step in and explain that it's unkind to scare animals while they're peacefully feeding.

The other day I even saw two little boys throwing stones at baby seagulls and actively trying to hit them. I told them to stop, and the boys asked "why?" so I said that they wouldn't like it if someone bigger threw stones at them.

I think being kind to vulnerable creatures (or at least not actively nasty), especially fledgelings and babies, is an important thing to foster in kids.

AIBU?

Not sure why anyone thinks its ok to do this.

My son tried it once. Told him that I'd run at him screaming and shouting every time he wanted some food, and see how he liked it. He didn't do it again. I've also been known to shout at other children to pack it in

You lovely bunch of people! I was expecting to get a right pasting. Faith in humanity restored.

I assume most people on this thread are vegan then?

Or causing animal suffering ok as long as you don't have to look at it..

Uh oh...

I am actually Sir.

But it isn't really the point.

Eating meat at least serves a purpose. Chasing pigeons does not and is just fucking annoying, for pigeons and for people. So teach your child not to do it.

butter?

I must say, being terrified of birds like to the point I cried last time one came near me my DP will always stamp at or shoo away the birds in front of me when we are out together..
I would never encourage my DC to run at a flock of birds feeding though.. If there is more than one bird I will go out of my way to avoid getting anywhere near them..

The reason I'm so scared is because when I was young a fucking huge seagull flew into my mums car while the door was open and realised it was stuck started to panic and almost blinded me.. I have a scar down the side of my face where it had scratched my face with its beak..

I am scared of dogs I don't know, but I think stamping at ones to scare them might evoke a different reaction.

I'm not totally unsympathetic - actually, I am. You are not the only being on the planet.

I agree completely. Although I remember working at a summer camp on a lake we had to encourage chasing off of geese as they polluters water so badly that many of the surrounding lakes were officially a health risk 😊

Throwing stones is unacceptable, but a toddler running after pidgeons is pretty harmless.

Much worse when parents allow children to antagonize dogs and cats

It isn't harmless.

It panics them, frightens them, and means they flap towards other people. They also can release waste - a natural reaction after having a fright. Unpleasant when en masse.

Or would you be OK with something running at your toddler to scare him?

I agree. Not only is it cruel and disrespectful. It's also highly dangerous. Seagulls are very likely to attack especially when they think someone is going to harm their chicks. It's only a motherly instinct.

Yanbu. I can't abide stuff like that. I remember being horrified when a mum at a local park was gleeful at her son squashing ants (the revolting "bless 'im!" came out ).

No YANBU. Can't see how anyone would think otherwise.

I hate seeing kids chase birds and animals too. I'm always surprised by the amount of parents who turn ignore it or think it's OK.

I don't like this at all...encouraging cruel behaviour ...I would never allow my DDs to chase any animals when they were small and they wouldn't do it now...makes me really upset

I hate this, there was a 6-7 year old chasing starlings outside our local shop the other day and his gran was cheering him on :(

"Might be worth putting a disclaimer in: if a child has SEN then obviously it's a different kettle of fish. And no, I don't know if this particular child had SEN."

No child should be allowed to hurt/scare/torment animals; SEN or otherwise. All parents have a responsibility to teach their children to be kind and respectful to other beings that can feel pain. With SEN involved, this might require a bit more effort from the parents (e.g. having to remind the child each and every time; or having to go in to deep detail about the wrongs and rights of it) but the child shouldn't be allowed to just go ahead and scare animals because they have special needs. My daughter has ASD and can be a bit over zealous when she sees dogs. So i know to supervise her and keep a tight hold of her hand when we pass a dog. And i remind her before we get too close not to touch without asking the owner's permission. I possibly need to do this upto three times a day. Which is tedious and tiring. But I still do it because i don't want any dogs to be scared by her. I don't just let her get on with it.

And she has now taken it upon herself to tell off other children when she sees them annoying pigeons in the town centre etc. "They're just trying to eat some crumbs. Leave them alone!"

For some reason she can't apply her compassion for pigeons to random dogs though. Hence the reason for my constant reminders.

Sorry if i've misunderstood your post or caused offence in any way.

I like the attitudes on this thread a lot.
I gave a side eye to a mother who watched her son run into some birds who then, panicked flew into me. She gave me a massive mouthful.

Horrible brats and lazy frickin parents.

They're not horrible brats.
Small children behave like small children. It's their parents' responsibility to stop them behaving badly. Obviously this only applies to young children.

I see it a lot. Because if where we live it's mostly families from abroad, so I gave no idea if we are more birdie friendly in the UK. I live for the day when a gaggle of geese turn tail and start chasing the little darlings around the pond. Or at the very least fly up over the gormless parents and nannies and poo on their heads.

All there are plenty of tossers with dogs let them off the lead next to the signs telling them to keep them on a lead and throw sticks into the ponds and lakes (also with signs) amongst the geese, swans, ducks and herons. They even out up boards saying that xx birds gave been mailed by dogs this year.

And I don't even like birds.

I think some parents genuinely feel it's charming or funny or harmless.

It does tend to be a certain 'type' who encourages it.

They won't find it quite so charming if the kids slipped on the swan poo and get covered in foul smelling green shit. That would be very .