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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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

168 replies

aliceyyyy2654 · 13/06/2026 16:01

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.

OP posts:
ScartlettSole · Yesterday 21:02

HappyWelsh · Yesterday 08:24

YANBU - Also, telling him to fuck off is the only appropriate response ✅

Agreed!

Tryingtohelp12 · Yesterday 21:06

aliceyyyy2654 · 13/06/2026 16:15

What would you have said? If anything at all

This weekend gone my 2 year old started chasing ducks, copying older children. I retrieved my child loudly saying I understand that him it’s fun but was scary to the ducks. A couple of other parents then followed suit. So maybe a more neutral statement would have gone down better

Peonies12 · Yesterday 21:13

YABU. The pigeons can fly away if they don’t like it.

daleylama · Yesterday 21:39

aliceyyyy2654 · 13/06/2026 16:15

What would you have said? If anything at all

on a tangent but aligned.. sometimes you dont need to say anything to aggravate offenders. I was recently roundly abused by a (presumed) grandmother as 'so rude' for picking up sweet wrappers that her grandchild was dropping at my feet as she ate them, while we sat at a bus stop. Said nothing, just picked up each one as the child dropped it.. I was embarrassing her apparently. But not enough to correct the child. You can't make it up.

daleylama · Yesterday 21:39

aliceyyyy2654 · 13/06/2026 16:15

What would you have said? If anything at all

on a tangent but aligned.. sometimes you dont need to say anything to aggravate offenders. I was recently roundly abused by a (presumed) grandmother as 'so rude' for picking up sweet wrappers that her grandchild was dropping at my feet as she ate them, while we sat at a bus stop. Said nothing, just picked up each one as the child dropped it.. I was embarrassing her apparently. But not enough to correct the child. You can't make it up.

daleylama · Yesterday 21:39

aliceyyyy2654 · 13/06/2026 16:15

What would you have said? If anything at all

on a tangent but aligned.. sometimes you dont need to say anything to aggravate offenders. I was recently roundly abused by a (presumed) grandmother as 'so rude' for picking up sweet wrappers that her grandchild was dropping at my feet as she ate them, while we sat at a bus stop. Said nothing, just picked up each one as the child dropped it.. I was embarrassing her apparently. But not enough to correct the child. You can't make it up.

Anarchy99 · Yesterday 21:40

Peonies12 · Yesterday 21:13

YABU. The pigeons can fly away if they don’t like it.

Oh so cruelty is okay if they can get away? How about teaching kids to respect other beings and not to torment them?

daleylama · Yesterday 21:47

aliceyyyy2654 · 13/06/2026 16:15

What would you have said? If anything at all

on a tangent but aligned.. sometimes you dont need to say anything to aggravate offenders. I was recently roundly abused by a (presumed) grandmother as 'so rude' for picking up sweet wrappers that her grandchild was dropping at my feet as she ate them, while we sat at a bus stop. Said nothing, just picked up each one as the child dropped it.. I was embarrassing her apparently. But not enough to correct the child. You can't make it up.

Pistachiocake · Yesterday 21:50

Tell the man you're reporting him to police for threatening/sexist language. And let them know they are allowing their child to abuse animals-people who work with children say the ones allowed to hurt animals are more likely to hurt other children.

daleylama · Yesterday 21:51

Boomer55 · 13/06/2026 16:21

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

And if the foot had made contact? Yes they fly away, but they don't always escape the kick /swipe etc.

Justanopinionnothingmore · Yesterday 21:55

Wow well that's a little psychopath being raised in the making.

Can't believe only 77% agree, supposed to be a nation of adult lovers.

No wonder some kids are just fuck ups as they grow up with parents like that.

climbintheback · Yesterday 21:58

One of the parents at school was allowing their toddler to rip flowering bulbs out of a plant pot - a brave mum went up and started replanting them. Some people are just idiots and some are brilliant that’s the way it is!

SisSuffragette · Yesterday 22:30

The 'its disgusting' but was unnecessary but asking her to stop him was perfectly reasonable. I hate to see it 😞

Pessismistic · Yesterday 22:57

Op unfortunately some people don’t have the same values as others so they don’t care if kids are trying to hurt birds. Others like a kick off probably the guy in this situation but you said your piece you didn’t scare the kid or the parent so I would take this as it was one of these uncaring parents.

Anarchy99 · Yesterday 23:00

It’s not like you tried to trip the kid up FFS!

FurierTransform · Yesterday 23:04

Yabu. They are urban pigeons... they aren't being tortured by a child shouting at them lol

Anarchy99 · Yesterday 23:06

FurierTransform · Yesterday 23:04

Yabu. They are urban pigeons... they aren't being tortured by a child shouting at them lol

It’s about respect for other creatures. Just because the pigeons are unlikely to get hurt, it doesn’t mean that kids should be allowed to be cruel to any creature. Because at that age they aren’t going to differential between a pigeon and anything else

Wooky073 · Yesterday 23:50

I probably wouldnt say anything for these reasons.

  • a vile child is abusing animals because they are smaller than him, and because he has grown up around that type of abusive behaviour
  • those who abuse animals often also abuse other humans - there are statistics on murderers or abusers who almost always start on animals. I cannot remember the figures but im sure its possible to look up. In fact in the news recently a mother is campaigning for a register of animal abusers because of exactly that data and because of what happened to her adult daughter who was murdered by her partner who also abused animals.
  • They sound like a family of toxic abusers and nothing you could say would make any difference to that.

But that said I admire your pluck !

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