Was I rude? (Being told to smile)

[ElevenBells]

Out shopping with DD 8 and waiting in the self checkout queue. Just waiting quietly with DD stood slightly behind me when I spot a man saying something to her. Didn’t quite catch what he said so turned round and DD was looking up at me a bit embarrassed.
Then I heard the man say something a long the lines of ‘go on let’s have a smile then’. I didn’t address him but said to DD ‘you don’t have to smile because a strange man tells you to, just ignore him’. Then went to scan my shopping.
A woman near him commented to him how rude I was. And he responded with something like ‘no wonder the kids that way if she has a mother like that’. As we left the shop DD said I embarrassed her. Feel bad now but I remember being a quiet kid like DD and putting up with requests to smile because apparently little girls need to have a constant grin plastered across their face. Did I overdo it? DD seems to think I did but tbh I’d have liked to say more.

Those people were both rude, not you - how dare they! I used to get this a lot, nowadays I would say 'if my face offends you, don't look at it!'

The part that stuck out to me was, ‘No wonder the kid’s that way …’

Did he say that loud enough for your DD to hear??

Having spent my entire life getting told to smile I wish it was legal to punch anyone who does this right in the balls (it's normally men)
No one says it to me now of course as I have an air about me that I don't give a shit but I'd love to tell someone to fuck off if they did

He sounds creepy.

I agree with your response it's a misogynistic comment and it's good advice to pass to your daughter.
As for that nosey woman. It was none of business.