3 year olds should not sulk

[notworking]

I'm a bit nervous about writing this as not sure what the response will be, but today I was out shopping with my 3 year old and we got ourselves in a situation where he got somewhat stroppy at not being able to buy something he wanted on the shelf.
I was trying to be firm with him telling him to put it back and that no he can't have it, when this women approached us and almost started taking over the situation, telling him to put the item back, grabbing it off him and giving him a good talking too.
He was being a bit of a pain I admit, but not to anyone else, and wasn't screaming or causing upset to anyone.
This women seemed to feel entitled to take over the situation, telling me she had worked with children before and knew how to handle them. My ds at this point was now sitting on the shop floor quietly sulking, not great behaviour I admit but she then she looked at me and said oh look he's sulking now see, he shouldn't be doing that at his age, he needs a good kick up the backside! And walked off. I thought it was nasty tbh.
Sometimes I feel unsure about things like this as it takes me back almost to when I was younger, my parents were very much 'stately home' thread types and this women seemed to show similar traits as my mother, but I am not sure if IABU?
Should a child really not be sulking by the time they reach 3?!

My 5 yo sulked yesterday because I made her get dressed. So no, I don't think 3yo should have finished sulking.

If she thinks children should not be sulking at three, she has clearly never been or been around teenagers.
What an idiot that woman was!

Er, I sulk all the time and I'm 31

Eh? DH sulks & he is 40!
Ignore crazy woman

Don't worry about it. A child (or an adult) of any age can sulk if that is their personality. I was a sulker as a child. Weirdly, I seemed to mostly grow out of it as an adult, but I know plenty of sulkers, adults and children alike. I don't know what she meant by saying he shouldn't be doing it as his age.

As for her butting in: well, I have to admit, I sometimes feel like doing the same (but never do). She might have just been trying to help you deal with the situation. It wasn't warranted though.

I occasionally sulk. It's fairly normal human behaviour that we learn to engage in at appropriate times. 3 year olds are learning so perfectly normal for them to do so in a shop. Me, not so much.

She was being rude and interfering. And seriously owes you an apology.

Of course three year olds sulk. Mine certainly all did. It generally meant that the message had got through and was sinking in, even if they didn't like the message.

I ignored their sulks.

Forget her. She was being a self-important windbag and talking out of her arse.

My 7 yr old DS had a full blown screaming tantrum last week because he was very over tired and I'd had to wake him up. He also is an expert sulker. Of course 3 yr olds can sulk...what a stupid, entitled woman.

Next time stand firm and tell interfering people like this to go away and leave your child alone.

My 3-year-old dgd sulks too. I see it as they are seeing what works and at least it is better than a tantrum. What an interfering old biddy!

I'm a 42 year old women and I sulk but seriously he's been on this earth for three years and
Is three years old...

Hate interfering old bats !

My dad still sulks at 65!

She's an arse. Doesn't everyone sulk now again?! You should have asked her if she was on glue 😆

Oh, and yes, I too am quite capable of the odd sulk. I am nearly 51 and definitely perimenopausal. That is my excuse and I am sticking to it.

Sulking at 12 and 17 is still normal if my two are anything to go by!
Ignore the stupid woman

I'm 41 and I still sulk when I can't get my own way. Who ever taught her about children must be as ignorant as she is.
I'm not one of those Don't you discipline my little precious poppet mums. However I draw a line at people chipping in. When I'm dealing with the situation.
I don't even do that with my nephew.
If my sister was shouting at him. I wouldn't dream of joining in. I'd expect and wouldn't blame my sister if she told me to keep my beak out.

I wish my 13yo would learn to sulk. Zero to rage in 10 seconds and then straight from rage to jokes even faster, at some random moment.

I have to deal with it by sulking myself, ie refusing to engage until all the steam has gone out of his fury.

Stupid woman. I would have been tempted to say she needs a good kick up the backside instead.

Some man once told my 4 year old on the bus that he doesn't want to listen to him, so I said to the man that I don't want to listen to him. He turned away and didn't utter a word after that. A nice lady nearby said "We were all children once" in the man's full earshot.
DS was tired and was having a little moan and I was CLEARLY trying to comfort him, then this man just piped up. Sometimes people need to be put in their place when they start making comments/sticking their beak in.

Oh, one of those, they WORK with kids so obviously know everything . Ignore her, she was interfering witch who should learn to mind her beeswax.

What a load of bollox! Has she not met teenagers???

Seriously?! Grow a spine! "I am disciplining my child, thank you, I don't need you interfering. Please leave us alone." Why are you wasting one second wondering if what she said is correct or worth consideration? (It's bollocks, by the way.)

God some people! Dd3 has just perfected hers, at 2.5. She scrunches up on the floor, head down, arse up. Today while we were out she got her sulk on about something, got in her position and showed everyone her naked arse (I told dp to make sure she had knickers on, obviously he didn't!)

The sulking comment is the least of it!

How dare she butt in. You were clearly trying to deal with the situation. Even if he had been screaming, as long as you were trying your best to calm him down, what good could possibly come from her trying to deal with your child??

Unbelievable.

I would have told her calmly but very firmly that it wasn't her place. I bet she made it worse.

I would have firmly said and at 60/50 I'd expect adults to stay out of private conversations. Ridiculous woman!

Huh? "At his age"? Jesus, at 3 the sulking has only just begun.
What an idiot.

I actually think sulking is quite advanced for a 3yo. My DS could only manage lying on the floor and screaming at that age. He's getting the hang of sulking now that he's 5, but he's still some way to go until he has perfected it.