DS aged 3.9 is stood on our gate …

[indurently]

He’s looking at cars, tractors and so on. We live on a country road. I’m pushing his sister on a swing.

And a couple just walked by and told me he shouldn’t be on the gate.

Racking my brains somewhat as to what we have done wrong!

Could they have been worried by proximity to the road? I’m quite rural and I don’t think it’s ever occurred to me to be worried about toddlers on a gate re its structural integrity but I would if I thought there was any chance they could get into a road.

This is my favourite thread in ages 😅

Another angle, maybe you are so young looking, they thought you were his sister.

Look on the bright side I say.

Why are you letting random people bother you so much over nothing?

Worried he was escaping? Worried he’d fall into road.
I wouldn’t give it another thought seems an odd thing for them to comment on.

Only if you think in base 10. In base 12 it's accurate and that's what we use for months (sort of) .

With your fetlocks blowing,
In the wiiind.

MNHQ, GET THIS THREAD TO CLASSICS!

In all seriousness maybe they know there's a convicted child abuser who lives nearby?

Do you mean the people who told me my DS shouldn’t be there or the pedants on here? 😅

Either way neither are ‘bothering me so much’ I was just a bit lost as to what they were criticising.

I am actually Lancashire born although have lived in the East Midlands for a number of years now.

What part of the gate are his feet actually on?

They may have a safety concern.

Is it one of those rural, five-bar gates, and your DS's feet are on one of the lower bars? The way you have described it, he could be perched on the very top edge of the gate and that of course would attract comment. If he's on a lower bar, then of course he can steady himself by holding onto a higher-up bar with his hands.

Bloody nora. This thread is insane and so typical of the nit picking and fake puzzlement that goes on, that it should be used as an example of what MN has become.

OP. ignore the arseholes both on this thread and the ones walking by.

Only if you think in base 10. In base 12 it's accurate and that's what we use for months (sort of)

Quite so.
Anyone who can't handle that is going to have trouble if we start discussing the height of the fictitious escaping/swinging horses.

They blimmin' LOVE a 3-year old horse on a gate, they do...

OP's child doesn't have any hands – only hooves.

Ok, well, as an EFL (non native) English speaker the issue is that you used a passive voice "stood" when an active voice "standing" would be the correct way to say it.

"Stood" is also usually only used as a past participle, so wouldn't be used in conjunction with "is", only "was/were".

He was stood - means someone else cased him to be in that position and refers to the act of someone being caused to stand somewhere.

He was standing - means what you meant - your son was standing on a gate.

Regional differences can be very hard to parse as a non-native speaker. Just like regional differences and accents in my native language are very hard for non-native speakers to understand.

If they were seriously worried about any such thing they would have been a bit more explicit if they actually wanted to be helpful.

Really? I find that hard to fathom. Is English not your first language?

You're not allowed to tell people because it turns into vigilantes

As long as he isn't at any risk of hurting himself or breaking the gate it's fine.
But who measures their kid's age as 3.9? Makes him sound like a dividable chocolate bar hahaha

Maybe the couple were vigilantes on the look out for pervs.

Is it really that hard? You've even hit on a reason they may not understand in your own post. Why are you demanding to know their first language?

Is it really that hard? You've even hit on a reason they may not understand in your own post. Why are you demanding to know their first language?

Did you miss the bit where the OP confirmed it was her garden gate?

The answer is always Thankyou random man ( or woman) for your unsolicited opinion.