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AIBU?

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Original poster

To wish parents would stop toddlers charging after birds

159 replies

yesterdaysunshine · 21/10/2016 16:35

I've already had a mini whinge about this but it's happened again and I'm fed up.

When a kid charges towards pigeons, they fly up en masse and seek to find somewhere else to go, which means because they don't get up very high, they are eye level with your face.

So while YOUR toddler has had the time of their life, MY toddler has had a horrible fright!

so have i

Why, oh why do people not appreciate its really anti social?

OP posts:
MrsLyons · 22/10/2016 10:19

Nope. My children are not allowed to chase animals or birds of any description ('vermin' or not) and I judge the fuck out of parents who allow it to happen.

Blu · 22/10/2016 10:20

I think it's fine to shoot a pigeon for food, or even humanely exterminate them from a place they are being a real Nuisance. Fine to gather shellfish to eat, not fine to let your child spend an afternoon in a rock pool systematically bashing all the limpets to a pulp for fun.

And who says people who don't let kids chase animals for the sake of it don't care about homeless people? Very smug!

Oysterbabe · 22/10/2016 10:22

Pigeons suffer from not being cute enough. If they were cute people wouldn't allow their children to chase them. I think it's sad.

As Kitten says, it's perfectly possible to care about homeless people and pigeons. It's also possible to be fine with pigeons being shot to be eaten and not with kids pestering them for fun.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 22/10/2016 10:25

YANBU. It's cruel. You can't blame a very small child, but you can certainly blame their ignorant twatty parent.

Original poster
yesterdaysunshine · 22/10/2016 10:25

Weird argument, that you walk past a homeless person on the street and therefore that's a green light to mistreat animals.

It's been drummed into me not to give money to the homeless anyway

OP posts:
bumsexatthebingo · 22/10/2016 10:25

cherryplumbanana my kids always get me to give money when we see someone homeless and they always want to but something for the Foodbank basket when we are shopping/buy a big issue because we've spoken about why it is important to help others. I think most people care more about other people than pigeons. I'm still not going to teach them it's ok to needlessly frighten, or even worse kill, any animal their own entertainment.

NoahVale · 22/10/2016 10:26

other birds do not peck food from the ground, you dont see sparrows/bluetits, gathering on the ground. they sit on the tree branches.
pigeons and seagulls loiter around people, on the ground. you walk into them and they fly up in the air, and land a foot away

what a fuss some of you make. it is not doing them Any harm. although the op was less concerned about the birds, as her toddler having them land near her

bumsexatthebingo · 22/10/2016 10:30

She's not talking about people walking near birds. She's talking about (and I've seen this) people who let their toddlers run around squealing with delight stamping near birds and frightening them as a game. These people probably then wonder why the child thinks it's fine to chase the family pet.

NoahVale · 22/10/2016 10:30

but op doesnt like it as the birds land near her toddler

bumsexatthebingo · 22/10/2016 10:34

From what I've read her issue is both that it's cruel and that it frightens her toddler. If either of mine had been scared of birds I think I'd have been doubly pissed off too that my child was bring frightened by something a parent shouldn't even be allowing their child to do.

NoahVale · 22/10/2016 10:36

you dont see adults running into a flock of pigeons do you.
it is just a toddler thing.
like jumping into puddles.

babybythesea · 22/10/2016 10:37

Used to work in a zoo with free range geese. Kids bloody chased the things the whole time. They aren't going to fly off - they couldn't. They used to get stressed. To a kid, chasing them is no different to chasing pigeons or other things that they are normally 'allowed' to chase. To staff, it was so frustrating - notices up everywhere 'These geese live here. Please don't chase them'. You'd approach a kid chasing one and the parents would instantly say 'I told you'. No you didn't, I've been watching. Please don't go to a zoo and then chase and harass their animals.
And if most people could treat them with respect, and enjoyed having them potter round, why should a few people be allowed to spoil it for everyone and get us to the point where we have to lock them away (geese, not people, though it would be tempting!)?

So my kids are not allowed to chase pigeons, ducks or anything else, because it isn't kind, and means that when they really shouldn't chase them, they can't tell the difference.

NoahVale · 22/10/2016 10:37

its just a Cause and Effect toy/activity.

bumsexatthebingo · 22/10/2016 10:50

Well that is what you're teaching. That a living creature is a toy to be used for your amusement regardless of the impact on them. If you want to bring up a selfish child who is cruel to other animals and people it's a perfect life lesson.

MrsKoala · 22/10/2016 10:50

I can't stop my dc chasing pigeons. At our local playground/park people bring food to feed them and they flock down and my dc run at them. Nothing i say or do will stop them. So it means i can't take my children to the playground. Which is really annoying. I wish the people would piss off and feed them somewhere else which isn't an area for children. Someone said they were going to call the police on us when ds1 chased some they were feeding.

NoahVale · 22/10/2016 10:52

there should be signs saying Dont Feed the pigeons. they are vermin and spread diseases.

NotYoda · 22/10/2016 10:55

Noah

Cause and effect toy/activity

Yes, that's just what it is.

A bit like: you talk as if you are a fool, and we think you're a fool

NoahVale · 22/10/2016 10:56

really Confused

well, charming

Gowgirl · 22/10/2016 11:02

There used to be signs all over London, they said something along the lines of
If you like feeding birds, buy a budgie.
Maybe they ought to bring them back.....

bumsexatthebingo · 22/10/2016 11:04

Well you have stopped them Mrs Koala if you don't take them there anymore. If they are too young to understand not to torment animals then they're not old enough to be allowed to play where they are.

Ilovehedgehogs · 22/10/2016 11:04

Yeah charming, like letting dc chase living creatures and finding it 'amusing'.
I judge the intellect of someone like that too I am afraid.

NoahVale · 22/10/2016 11:09

i judge the intellect of people who feed vermin

Ilovehedgehogs · 22/10/2016 11:11

Thicko- bringing up the next generation. It's not okay to needlessly scare anything because it doesn't fit your definition of cute.

Ilovehedgehogs · 22/10/2016 11:13

Well that is what you're teaching. That a living creature is a toy to be used for your amusement regardless of the impact on them. If you want to bring up a selfish child who is cruel to other animals and people it's a perfect life lesson

Exactly

NoahVale · 22/10/2016 11:14

thicko

is this name calling hedgehog or a poster called thicko?
Confused

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