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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

T o let my son chase pigeons

376 replies

mrsruffallo · 02/10/2009 14:19

DS loves chasing flocks of pigeons. Every time we go to the park he and his friends scream with delight as they fly away.
Woman in the park today got very angry and told me that 'pigeons have feelings too' and that IT WAS CRUEL.
Funnily enough there was something along similar lines on CBeebies the other day.
AIBU to think it's just a bit of fun?

OP posts:
AvengingGerbil · 02/10/2009 19:24

If people wouldn't feed the wretched things in the parks then there would not be huge flocks of them for anyone to chase.

Our park has a completely disgusting area where people empty out whole loaves of sliced bread (not crumbed up), bags of rice, etc. It goes mouldy. It encourages rats as well as the pigeons.

It is right next to the path. You have to walk past it to get to school. Yuk.

cantpooinpeace · 02/10/2009 19:27

Being a mum is hard enough without making issues about something children have done forever.

I bet you anti-chasers are the type who don't like their kids to run in the playground and make them wear a crash helmet whilst walking too

Oh and I reckon you all have allotments too!

seeker · 02/10/2009 19:30

One of the important elements of being a mum is instilling essential kindness and respect for other animals. Yes, it is hard, but that's what I signed up for. I'm not even going to dignify the helmet/allotment comments with an answer - they are too silly.

ohfuschia · 02/10/2009 19:33

yabu, don't like it when I see children doing this, some say why shouldn't they, but I think why should they

SardineQueen · 02/10/2009 19:34

Can see both sides of this TBH - but wanted to give a couple of answers to seeker's question.

Ducks may well be owned by someone as livestock - and as such you can't do anyhthing - chase them catch them eat them whatever as they are someone's property

Ducks of the ornamental/pond type often have their wings clipped and so can't fly away - as I learnt to my horror once when I saw a young dog savage about 6 ducks on a pond near where i live

Ducks don't tend to hang out in the middle of the path - you would have to go out of your way to pester them, probably following them into a pond

When they are out and about they often have ducklings with them which can't get away as adults can so that would be another no-no

Other than that I would think that a pigeon chaser should have no probs chasing a duck. Although I suspect the duck would simply get well away and that would be it.

Pigeon chasers feel free to correct me though!

cantpooinpeace · 02/10/2009 19:35

I wouldn't actively encourage my child to chase any animal, however if I caught them at it I wouldn't be horrified either. It's just something kids that kids tend to want to do..

jeeeez talk about overanalysing an innocent act

HecatesTwopenceworth · 02/10/2009 19:35

I'm a bit thick cantpoo, because I don't understand. What has (OTT) child safety and growing veg got to do with not letting your kids use animals for entertainment?

(and I've never had an allotment, my kids run wild in playgrounds but yes, ds1 did wear a helmet as a toddler, but that's cos he's autistic and has erbs palsy and the combination meant he rather enjoyed banging his head AND kept falling over anyway!)

OrmIrian · 02/10/2009 19:37

I never see how calling something 'vermin' is meaningful in anyway. As if the creature can then be dismissed from our considerations. We are the ones who make vermin. We get the vermin we deserve. If we weren't such a dirty wasteful excessive species there wouldn't be rats and pigeons clearing up our crap. They are the inevitable consequence of our insistence on living in communities and being so wasteful.

GibbonInARibbon · 02/10/2009 19:42

OrmIrian - I think I just fell a little in love with you.

Dominique07 · 02/10/2009 19:45

I think its just harmless fun; children run at the birds and then stop.

Isn't this like instinctive training for our ancestral hunter gatherer origins, just like all child's play?

YANBU

cantpooinpeace · 02/10/2009 19:45

It was a comedy generalization about 'you types' obvious to those with a sense of humour who have followed this debate from the start

It's also quite clearly tongue in cheek but you seem to want to drag it down to a personal level

GibbonInARibbon · 02/10/2009 19:48

poo, can I call you poo?

Was a rather silly thing to say tbh. I read it and have to say was a tad

seeker · 02/10/2009 19:50

I know I sound obsessed with ducks, but catpoo - do you let your child chase ducks? Or sheep?

cantpooinpeace · 02/10/2009 19:51

Skeptical??

OrmIrian · 02/10/2009 19:52

Gosh thanks gibbon.

Feeling all unneccesary now

cantpooinpeace · 02/10/2009 19:53

catpoo?? who mentioned cats??!!

GibbonInARibbon · 02/10/2009 19:55

I do forget that the face has only one meaning in this world.

GibbonInARibbon · 02/10/2009 19:59

Going to step away now, others have phrased it far more eloquently that I ever could.

If people think it's OK to let their children do it, methinks my twopence worth won't change that.

SquirrelTrap · 02/10/2009 20:01

Seeker - I have chased and kicked a goose in front of the children.

That was after it attacked DS2 and was going to keep going. DOes that count?

pointydoug · 02/10/2009 20:04

I don't mid if a child does it once.

But if they do it over an d over, I think how irritating it must be for the pigeons and I fell like telling the kid to give it a rest

SarfEasticated · 02/10/2009 20:04

OrmIrian - exactly right.

I quite like pigeons actually, and live in London. Just because they are a bit greasy and grubby, people seem to hate them. Grey squirrels carry more viruses than pigeons.

I agree with the other posters about a blanket 'don't chase any animal rules' just because I want my DD to be a compassionate soul. If she get's surrounded by a flock of them at the park though and needs to get through em, then not much we can do about that.

sazzerbear · 02/10/2009 20:05

He's hardly running after them with a shotgun!
Rats with wings!!!

pointydoug · 02/10/2009 20:06

oo yes, seeker. I had a swan in a half nelson, squeezed it within an inch of its life, after it tried to ambush my children and steal my purse.

Does that count?

Rubyrubyruby · 02/10/2009 20:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

curiositykilled · 02/10/2009 20:08

I don't think it is directly harmful but rather a good opportunity to teach children to be kind to things they see as smaller and insignificant. I don't let my children chase pigeons, can't see the difference between terrorising a pigeon, a dog, a cat, a rat or another small child. They are all, potentially, things with feelings a small child can either ignore or consider.

My children are certainly not over-protected, but they are generally kind to other people and animals. I think children have a tendency to be very self-centred, any opportunity you have to teach them to recognise and consider another entity's feelings should be taken IMO. Can't see any benefit to it either.