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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Family at the beach

32 replies

SweatyCrustySocks · 30/08/2022 07:31

Yesterday I took my 2 year old granddaughter to the beach. DH drew baby shark characters in the sand for her and she was so proud of them collecting stones for their teeth etc and she was so excited.

It was not a crowded beach, tons of space and we were in a corner away from everyone else.

Then, a woman turned up ragging a beach trolley behind her went right over one of the sharks. Then a bloke turned up walked right over one of the other sharks knocking all the stones out of place. Before long there were a group of adults literally setting up all their shit on top of DGD’s sharks.

We didn’t say anything of course, it’s a public beach, people can go where they want but AIBU to have been silently irritated and think it was a bit mean to do this?? There were so many other places they could have gone.

OP posts:
Antarcticant · 30/08/2022 07:37

Hard to say without having seen this unfold - how obvious were the sharks? If they were something drawn on the sand, the woman with the trolley mightn't have seen them.

Presumably you sat where you did because it was a nice spot - the others setting up nearby might have thought the same.

Could you not just have made some more sharks?

Revolvingwhore · 30/08/2022 07:38

I think we're just going to have to file this under 'beach is everyone'.

CakeCrumbs44 · 30/08/2022 07:40

They probably didn't notice them. Sand and stones on a beach full of sand and stones. If she was still playing with it that's different but if she was doing something else they wouldn't be obvious, at least 3 people didn't spot them.

liveforsummer · 30/08/2022 07:40

They probably didn't notice the sharks. They might have lived along a bit if you'd mentioned it but then you could have just made more sharks too. Definitely a 'little deal' as I say to dc when thinking about how to deal with things that have caused upset

Meraas · 30/08/2022 07:43

Was dgd stillplaying there? They might not have realised they were drawn by you guys?

mountainsunsets · 30/08/2022 07:44

Where were you and DGD when this happened? Could you not have said something?

Original poster
SweatyCrustySocks · 30/08/2022 07:46

She was off collecting stones for more teeth so not actually on them at the time. They were pretty obvious though, obvious enough for people to be hanging their kids over the wall above to show their own kids.

I suppose it’s a trivial issue really 😂 I’m just a tad over protective when it comes to my DGD I guess!

OP posts:
Hellodarknessmyoldpal · 30/08/2022 07:48

That is annoying but sounds likely they didn't see them. Did your GD get upset? Did the family realise at this point?

Sunnyqueen · 30/08/2022 07:50

If no one was actually with them at the time then she either thought the family who drew them were long gone or she just didn't notice them.

Meraas · 30/08/2022 07:53

SweatyCrustySocks · 30/08/2022 07:46

She was off collecting stones for more teeth so not actually on them at the time. They were pretty obvious though, obvious enough for people to be hanging their kids over the wall above to show their own kids.

I suppose it’s a trivial issue really 😂 I’m just a tad over protective when it comes to my DGD I guess!

Perhaps more obvious when viewed from above (like the people hanging their kids over the wall) rather than when walking across the beach?

CornishGem1975 · 30/08/2022 07:55

We go to the beach a lot, if you were going to try and avoid every bit of sand where people have drawn something or built a sandcastle you'd be hard pushed. I voted YABU because it's sand, not worth getting upset over. Just start again.

oakleaffy · 30/08/2022 08:04

@SweatyCrustySocks
Ephemeral art…
I used to draw galloping horses in the sand, and the waves washed them out to Sea..
Her Sharks are ephemeral- They sounded lovely!
Take pics next time..
I love how the sea erased my horses, making the sand flat and pristine again.
Draw more 🦈 Sharks!

Doingmybest12 · 30/08/2022 08:08

I presume the drawings weren't obvious as most people wouldn't walk over this type of thing if still being worked on or near a family if there is lots of other space. As it was sharks that were drawn I wonder if they thought older children had done it and moved on. Probably not logical but I wouldn't expect sharks in the sand for a 2 year old- but there might be a cartoon I am not aware of. Perhaos they were just fish shaped anyway. It is a 'never mind, let's start again' moment .

araiwa · 30/08/2022 08:09

What a son of a beach

Annieisalright · 30/08/2022 08:09

YABU

They most likely didn't see them

And even if they did your DGD was somewhere else so they most likely thought it was 'old' sand art

TeenDivided · 30/08/2022 08:12

tbh As soon as they were near the sharks you could have said 'excuse me, my DGD has got some sharks there, could you go round please?'
Then likely they would have said 'oh so sorry, didn't see them' and all would be fine.

londonrach · 30/08/2022 08:14

Probably didnt see them or thought you all gone if you not next to them. Yabu

mrsbitaly · 30/08/2022 08:16

Yes accident or not I would have been annoyed. I'm always cautious to try and mind people's works of art on the beach 😂 hope they still had a lovely time

Prescottdanni123 · 30/08/2022 08:21

I can understand why you are irritated by it, but those people most likely didn't do it maliciously. They probably just didn't see them. As someone else said, it could be the type of thing that is easier to see from above than when you are walking along the beach.

CoverYourselfInChocolateGlory · 30/08/2022 08:25

Yes, it's a bit irritating but sand play is not meant to last - I found myself getting protective of an amazing sand castle DD and I built a few years back and then realised how utterly ridiculous I was being - it's sand. So we both had great fun jumping up and down on it.

Choconut · 30/08/2022 08:34

I think if you want to make sure something isn't ruined by other people then the best thing is for one person to stay next to it or make it right where you are sat. Honestly people are so oblivious to anything beyond themselves. I've never been to a beach where there's been so many things built in the sand that it's been impossible to avoid them but I have seen things built by others with no one around them and assumed they'd probably left.

SunnyD44 · 30/08/2022 08:51

It depends how far away from you they were.

If they were right next to you then YANBU

But if it was further away and looked like it was someone else’s or they didn’t look properly as they could see no one was sitting there then YABU

You say that people go see them over the wall which sounds like they were quite big and if so YABU

Bpdqueen · 30/08/2022 08:55

I just get annoyed when people sit close to me on a beach that's not crowded so yanbu

LookItsMeAgain · 30/08/2022 08:58

I can't believe no one has said it yet...

Ok...I'll bite....

"I think you're going to need a bigger beach" 😆 (as the drawings were of sharks and I hope you get the reference there)

WonderingWanda · 30/08/2022 08:58

YANBU, they were clearly twats because they had a beach trolley, was it to carry their Dryrobes and beach tent?