We chased some sheep!!

[Mybeardeddragonjustdied2016]

I never let my kids chase pigeons in town or torment our cats or dogs. But today I actively encouraged my adult dd to carry my 2 year old ds to chase after some sheep.

The reason being ds wanted to cuddle one!! His little face crumpled when they obviously didn't catch one. We took loads of photos instead and he has talked about his wish to cuddle one for hours now. Looks like we will be visiting our nearby kids farm when we get back off holiday!
Are we as parents unreasonable in supporting our kids dreams even if they are somewhat strange?? Should I have told him it was a ridiculous idea or to let him think he had a chance??
The sheep by the way didn't look like they cared less about having to hurry off from a skinny dd carrying a well - clothed ds up a steep grassy hill - before I get rspca flamed!

Oooohhh rabbit casserole, metalmidget you've just found the one thing I mss about rural living....wanders off to Waitrose

You are clearly an idiot.

1. As prey animals, sheep do not enjoy being chased and the shock alone can kill them or cause them to abort their lambs, so yes it is cruel. If the farmer had seen you they would've been furious and if any of the sheep were found to have suffered due to the incident you could've found yourself in court.

1. Sheep running in a blind panic can often mistakenly run towards the thing they are trying to get away from. Your son could have been mown down and injured or worse.

1. Even at a child friendly petting zoo the sheep won't enjoy being chased and you'll probably be asked to leave if you allow your ds to do so.

I am all for giving children as much freedom as possoble provided what they're doing isn't causing nuisance or harm to anyone else. Your sons wish to cuddle a sheep does not take priority over the welfare of the animals. Completely irresponsible. Loving animals means respecting them, not treating them as playthings. If he wants to cuddle a sheep buy him a toy for fucks sake.

Also do you know the value of sheep (a breed of animal that seems to have a death-wish by the way!)? Last year a Blackface ram lamb made 160,000 pounds at auction. Only last week one made 100,000 pounds !

They are important and valuable livestock not to be messed with..

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well aren't you a fucking idiot! Please tell me this is a troll or a reverse!

Wow. Are people really so ignorant about animals?

There are all sorts of things kids want and can't or shouldn't have. Good parents regularly have to let their little faces crumple.

If I let my dog chase a sheep, the farmer would be entitled to shoot him and he would be 100% right to protect his animals, and I would be 100% wrong. Even if the dog had accidentally slipped his collar. To deliberately chase sheep is a horrible thing to do. Especially ones which are probably pregnant.

Even if this is a troll- hope it makes others realise that the countryside is not a giant picnic site/play park!

Excellent fun. Try getting them to chase a herd of cows with calves next. Much more fun. You join in too.

Well I hope his next dream isn't try to cuddle a calf when its mother is nearby. A 2 year old v 3/4 ton of protective maternal cow doesn't bear thinking about. (Some of my family are dairy farmers)

Farms aren't playgrounds.

I really hope this thread is a pisstake.

Cumberland x post

Surely this has got to be a troll - "follow their dreams" ffs. No-one says that with a straight face do they?? At least I hope it's a troll because if not - wantonly encouraging your children to be cruel to animals, and to put at risk the farmer's livelihood - absolutely horrible behaviour.

This thread reminded me of this one.

It's half-term in some areas already.

Just saying...

Oh they are only sheep - as long as your little darling can fulfill his dreams.........

Depending on where about in the country you are, they could be in lamb (they are here). Chasing them stresses them and causes them to abort. Allowing children to chase animals is plain ignorant and in this case potentially criminal. Would you enjoy being chased by a bunch of strangers when pregnant, leading to a miscarriage?

Only on mumsnet do people derive so much enjoyment from being Fucking Shocked.

If it's a wind up I empathise with the OP. After nodding in sage agreement with the first ten responses explaining why this is unkind and unreasonable, I have now been apoplectic with laughter for the remaining million. You'd think the OP had single handedly carried out a genocide.

Bumwad

You think the sheep posted this?

YABU and selfish to boot . Poor sheep can abort.

Wappers Return

That made me cry , you must have been devastated , all down to some idiots like the OP. So sorry.

There is no point just agreeing with the moderate opinion of the poster before you when you can have a more shocked and enthusiastic response. The competition is on for who can be the most offended, and so the spiral of ever increasing magnitude of anger defines Mumsnet.

If you let your kids chase my sheep then I'd have been fucking fuming!

Over the years I have shot and killed 3 dogs for chasing my sheep and while I wouldn't have shot your kids (obviously) , you'd be wishing I'd shot you by the time I was though with you.

How fucking DARE you! You know absolutely sod all about sheep but you think it's ok for your little precious to chase them because he wants a cuddle!

Literally speechless that you might think this is an okay thing to do.....

'Don't chase sheep! It's cruel and barbaric!!!'

Yeah... Just murder and eat them! Thats not barbaric at all! Totally not cruel! Completely different! SMH. Idiots.

abc.

Awesome.

What the hell is wrong with people??
op actually expects us to find this funny?
No, teach your poor child how to behave properly around animals.
I'm shocked by the fact you actually think that this is ok.
You think this is good parenting?
It's not.
I really hope this is a wind up.

OP has a decent posting history. She'll be off to change names now.

Wtf has her DD's figure or what her DS was wearing got to do with ANYTHING!??