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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Child squirting water at stranger

115 replies

LudoBear · 05/04/2021 18:49

Group of children aged around 6 to 10 playing with water pistols. Somebody walks past and one squirts water 3 or 4 times at the person. Person is not known to the child.

As the parent of the child, how would you react?

As the person who has been squirted, how would you react?

OP posts:
Bunnybigears · 05/04/2021 19:26

Well thats different as they did it after you had asked them not to but you can see where the children have learnt their behaviour from!

littlejo67 · 05/04/2021 19:27

If the child was mine I would apologise. If I was the one who got wet then I would laugh. It's a child with a water pistol. Can't believe how upset some people would get at something so small.

ImInStealthMode · 05/04/2021 19:28

As the parent I'd be mortified and apologetic, and I'd remove the water pistol and insist the child apologises.

Conversely through, as the squirtee I really don't think I'd be that bothered, assuming it's just water and I'm not literally soaked through.

RogueMNerKnowsNoShame · 05/04/2021 19:29

That’s shocking. I’d be livid.
More at the adult.

Was it a warm day?

AnyFucker · 05/04/2021 19:29

I wouldn’t have laughed. I would have immediately confiscated the water gun indefinitely and headed home with kid.

I would have apologised but not taken any shit from you (which it sounds like you didn’t give any)

Orchidflower1 · 05/04/2021 19:32

I’d be livid. That’s disgusting behaviour from the parents.

I would be silently seething too( and looking for someone to borrow a water cannon from!)

mm40 · 05/04/2021 19:34

I would be livid...not necessarily due to how wet (as the squirtee) I’d got but the adults attitude is beyond wrong.

Dizzy1234 · 05/04/2021 19:34

Parents and child should apologise.
I got ambushed by some kids with those Blaster type water pistols, they got me good, I was in the car with the window open, luckily it's 20 mph, I was drenched, I stopped then reversed, they scattered, I had to laugh, little shits 😂

Royalbloo · 05/04/2021 19:36

I wouldn't be impressed if I were the stranger or the parent...

nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut · 05/04/2021 19:37

In that situation, snatch it off them and throw it towards the nearest garage roof or smash it. Clearly their parents aren't bringing them up very well so I'd be teaching them a harsh lesson.

If the parents stopped them and apologised of course I'd laugh it off.

Whammyyammy · 05/04/2021 19:38

@LudoBear

I was the squirtee. I turned round and asked them to please not squirt me. They did it again. Four adults amongst the kids were all laughing! Everyone thought it was hilarious. I just walked off but was secretly fuming as it was deliberate.
I would be on amazon ordering the biggest super soaker they have, bide my time to ensure they're all present and soak the lot of them
itsgettingwierd · 05/04/2021 19:39

As the parent I would have been clear you squirt only those who are playing the game or it ps removed before they started - so I'd follow through with removal and apologise to passer by.

As passer by I think it depends on child's age, how they did it, and also ifs it's a Poundland party bag type pistol or a super soaker!

I've been walking in summer before when kids have pointed small squirters at me and held my hands out in the 'don't shoot me way' whilst laughing. So I'd know at that point I'd encouraged it and obviously wouldn't known if kid would have done it or not otherwise!

But height of summer on a beach I'd most likely definitely have laughed!

Whammyyammy · 05/04/2021 19:39

@nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut

In that situation, snatch it off them and throw it towards the nearest garage roof or smash it. Clearly their parents aren't bringing them up very well so I'd be teaching them a harsh lesson.

If the parents stopped them and apologised of course I'd laugh it off.

These parents aren't bringing their kids up, they're dragging the feral rats up
LolaSmiles · 05/04/2021 19:39

With parents like that it's no wonder their children think it's fine to behave that way. They're teaching their children it's acceptable to behave in unacceptable ways.

itsgettingwierd · 05/04/2021 19:41

@LudoBear

I was the squirtee. I turned round and asked them to please not squirt me. They did it again. Four adults amongst the kids were all laughing! Everyone thought it was hilarious. I just walked off but was secretly fuming as it was deliberate.
That's not ok.

I HATE the attitude everyone should find something done to them funny because the people doing it think they should find it funny.

I have memories of dreading days out with extended family (cousins etc) because we were expected to find being tickled, having water thrown at us or even chucked in pool or sea funny.

It's only funny when everyone indicates they are game for it.

shouldistop · 05/04/2021 19:43

My eldest is 4yo and I don't think he'd deliberately squirt a stranger, maybe if he got carried away he might. I'd ask him to apologise and if he did it again after that he'd be going home.
I'd be really embarrassed!

HermioneWeasley · 05/04/2021 19:46

I’m not surprised to hear that the parents of badly behaved kids are anti social cunts.

Tinydinosaur · 05/04/2021 19:46

Someone's kid once threw a muffin at my head while I was on a bus they just laughed. Some people are just dicks raising their kids to be dicks.

Angel2702 · 05/04/2021 19:49

I would be very embarrassed and would remove the water pistol and send the child inside after apologising.

I would probably over react if I were squired as I have a real problem with water being sprayed on my face.

LynetteScavo · 05/04/2021 19:51

I'd go home and fill up my washing up bottle then go back and squirt the lot of them.

MummyLikesPizza · 05/04/2021 19:52

Was this today? Were they foreigners?

PandaFluff · 05/04/2021 19:53

That's even worse than I'd envisaged as they did it again after you'd asked them not to. The parents clearly don't want to teach their children about consent.

Fembot123 · 05/04/2021 19:55

What shite parents

Brimborium · 05/04/2021 19:57

If it was today, it's a tradition in several Eastern European countries to squirt people with water on Easter Monday. Although I would hope that the parents would be aware that's not the case everywhere.

AcornAutumn · 05/04/2021 19:58

@LudoBear

I was the squirtee. I turned round and asked them to please not squirt me. They did it again. Four adults amongst the kids were all laughing! Everyone thought it was hilarious. I just walked off but was secretly fuming as it was deliberate.
Well done for keeping calm. I'd likely have screamed WTAF and broken the gun., with the parents laughing.

If they raise them feral, a bit of language and aggression should be seen as a positive 😂