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?!

Sulking is surely in the job description for children and most definitely for teenagers. Along with not listening to instructions, having tantrums, making a mess, not doing as told the first time etc. Sounds like the woman was a bit of an interfering (not) 'know it all'. I would not worry about it.

I'm old. I love a little sulk.

Ha ha ha!! People of all ages sulk, she sounds like a pain in the bum!!
I avoid shopping with my ds at all costs, the nicest child turns into hell on wheels as soon as they enter a supermarket. Put it out of your mind.

I'm 23 and sulk all the time.

7yo dd sulked today, because she couldn't do exactly what she wanted. She got over it eventually.

Sulking is pretty normal for children. It's even normal for adults but we've generally learned where and when it's appropriate.

Sulk is a word used by people to demonise a period of thinking through and experiencing overwhelming negative emotion, usually because they don't want the person to have an emotion they don't approve of, and feel personally assaulted or punished by someone else's emotion.
Old lady will just have to over it

She's a very peculiar woman, with very peculiar notions, and I wouldn't pay the least bit of attention to anything she said at all.

And if you see her again, give the sign against the Evil Eye and say loudly to your son "there's that very strange woman again, we won't be letting her anywhere near you, don't worry!"

Ok, maybe not that last bit. But definitely ignore her - she's not worth the trouble. (It wasn't GF - as in SWMNBN - by any chance, was it?)

I have been known to sulk as a grown adult!!

Brilliantly put scaryclown!

I'm 38 and ❤️ a good sulk. It's marvellous for the complexion and keeps colds at bay.

I have even been known to stamp my foot.

I agree he should be allowed to sulk - its his way of expressing disapointment.

Is it just me that the more you read the word sulk the weirder it sounds!!

Sulking is an emotion, I'm sure most of us to do it, including me! I'd be more cross with the woman for saying he needs a kick up the bum, nice way to talk to a child!

noodle I was just thinking that myself, strange word

Thanks for all your replies, it's made me really annoyed now thinking about it I wish I'd been quicker and come back with a comment at the time.
But before she walked off with that horrible 'kick up the backside' comment I was still trying to work whether she meant well or not and should I just brush it aside. But by that time she had disappeared back into the shopping centre. Cow.

I wish mine just sulked, I got screamed at all the way home by mine because he realised he'd lost the dandelion he'd picked, I refused to walk back a mile to look for it and none of the million other dandelions on the way home would do for some reason.

Is it just me that the more you read the word sulk the weirder it sounds!!

🤔🤔🤔

Sulk
Bulk
Hulk
Skulk

Any more for any more?

Blurryface oh how I identify with that

She was wrong to interfere. You should have told her to butt out.

Why are posters assuming she was old though?

I got an hours peace with a epic sulk 3yo DS did a while ago. He kept popping his head round the door to check I realised he was sulking but otherwise sat with his back to me in the hall mutteringto himself.

I remember it fondly

Flavia I'm with you, my ds storms off to sulk like a mini teenager, the peace is lovely

Please don t let the strange women tell your child off. It s only normal that he gets frustrated if he can t get something. That odd woman should really get a life!

How you refrained from telling her to fuck off, I don't know.... I remember when my daughter was four months old and blowing raspberries for the first time, a woman said to me "A good smack never hurt anyone!!!" I offered to prove her wrong. People are idiots.

The issue here is not whether your three year old behaved inappropriately.

The issue is why you didn't implement clear boundaries for this stranger who behaved extremely inappropriately towards you and your son.

Any of these would have done:

"I know you are trying to help but I have it in hand"

"Please don't undermine my parenting"

"Please leave us alone, this is inappropriate".

"You are a stranger and this is none of your business, please go away"

I don't mean to be harsh but I think you really need to be seriously thinking about why you let this stranger trample all over you.

Ps Sounds like perfectly normal three year old behaviour.

Three year olds are expert sulkers. Someone as "experienced" with children as her should know that. She sounds loopy, people are forever doing things that annoy me, I don't lecture them on how xyz should be done because It's Not The Done Thing.

Does crazy interfering lady actually have kids or ever been around 3 year olds?!
It's what they do best!
Ignore.