AIBU to tell a parent not to let their child torment pigeons?

[aliceyyyy2654]

I was walking in my town today and saw a young child around 6/7 chasing pigeons. This isn’t an unusual occurrence and I know children often do this, it’s natural for them.
this child was trying to kick the pigeons and shouting ‘die’ at them.
the mum/grandma (unsure due to slightly older age) just sat doing nothing. I went to the lady ‘excuse me, please could you not let your child torture animals, it’s disgusting’.
I didn’t speak to the child because ultimately it’s not her fault it’s the adults.

a man (not sure if known to them) said ‘shut up bitch’ to me, which I probably stupidly replied ‘fuck off’ and walked away.

AIBU to have spoken to the woman?
I accept unreasonable to swear but I wasn’t expecting him to come at me from behind like that.

Then the pigeon was fine. Birds fly away if they’re startled by anything.

Children running at pigeons isnt animal abuse tbh 😭

The pigeons are fine

I very loudly explained to my (then) 5 year old DS that we don’t chase anything smaller than us

Had to do this after BIL chased pigeons and encouraged DS to do the same. He was 47

Chasing pigeons isn't animal torture, they can fly away quite easily and they also don't understand the word die

Well luckily pigeons don't speak English. I get it's upsetting to witness but let's be real, the pigeons are fine.

I’m not a confrontational person and feel quite uncomfortable about the interaction now. Because of the language used by the child and the lack of energy to correct from the woman I felt compelled to say something and was driven by emotion.
definitely should have worded it better and more constructively.

unfortunately they were the type to not take that on board and probably encourage the child to do further harm to animals or humans :/

suppose you can’t change people’s minds! Thanks all

Torture??? Talk about over exaggeration! Pigeons would fly away if they were so bothered. I'm not a fan of kids running birds, but life goes on. A totally dramatic over-reaction to respond as you have.

I think walking along and seeing a child kicking at birds saying ‘ die! Die! ‘ is unpleasant at any time, to anyone not made of stone. But in a period where people are being killed in the streets in random attacks, to be sensitive is natural. Enough with normalising violent behaviour and violent threatening language.

I wouldn’t have used those words. Telling a parent their parenting skills, or lack of is disgusting is not going to be well received. Regardless of how true it might be.
I would have assessed whether his attempts to kick a pigeon was being successful or clearly failing. The pigeon won’t understand the words.
I might have been tempted to walk into the path of the pigeons so they flew away before he got to them. Until he got bored.

To me, there is a difference between a small child running excitedly towards a flock of pigeons and a child acting aggressively towards said pigeons. Not saying this is going to happen in this case, but abusers of people often started by abusing animals.
Pigeons may appear quite resilient but other birds would not be and not stopping this behaviour may embolden the child to run at birds who are not so resilient.
Though I would be interested to see what happened if that child ran stomping at some Canada geese with goslings (which are around right now).

i regularly sit with my 3 year old and feed the pigeons in town. I hate seeing kids trying to kick them. So good on you for saying something

I’ve spoken to various children who’ve been tormenting birds (pigeons and gulls). Many of them progress to kicking them, but even if they were ‘only’ chasing them, it’s still unkind and unnecessary. Some children just don’t think. They only learn empathy and not to do things by being told.

I once spoke to a boy smashing in the shells of living sea creature on the beach. He was shocked I spoke to him but I did it kindly and quietly and explained there were animals inside. He stopped and did look ashamed. Children aren’t always being mean, just thoughtless or unaware.

I would have told the child. It takes a village, and all that...

To clarify if my OP wasn’t clear, I didn’t refer to her parenting as disgusting, I referred to the child’s behaviour as it.

I think walking along and seeing a child kicking at birds saying ‘ die! Die! ‘

OP said 'trying to kick’. That's the point, birds are quick enough to fly off before getting kick. The die die is pathetic but the last I heard, pigeons don't understand the meaning, so I think they are safe from that !

I have voted YABU but only because I think you should have spoken directly to the child first, then braced yourself for a gob-full from the parent and godparent. If parents don't deal with their own children, others will step in.

Fuck off was the perfect response. It’s the only one people like that understand.

Hopefully you put the woman off letting it happen again but a lot of people are humiliated by being “wrong” and would never admit it when they’re being challenged.

Oh god I’m not sure I am brave enough for that 😂😂

I'm surprised how many people don't let their children chase pigeons. My DC loved it as a toddler and I didn't stop him. He'd never try and kick them - he was just excited by them flying away.

Surely I can't have been the only one to miss the memo that this isn't OK?

Kicking at. Trying to kick. . .. I don’t see what the distinction is. Kicking at pigeons is trying to kick pigeons.

using violent language is the sign of a disordered mind. Nobody sane wants to hear it. Nobody happy uses it.

wether the pigeons can understand language or not is utterly beside the point.

the child was exhibiting anti social behaviour and his parents were failing to parent.

you find this hard to comprehend?!

No, some kids chase pigeons when they have been raised to think it is acceptable. Teaching children to scare or hurt those that are smaller or weaker is stupid unless you are intentionally raising children to have those values. My DC are horrified when they see other kids doing this.

👏🏼 👏🏼
said it better than I could

It really isnt a big deal 😭

Kids are kids, they do things like walk on walls and chase pigeons

Sounds like a future serial killer!

and it is the parents jobs to teach children right from wrong. No one is denying that children do these things but it’s your job to stop it