T o let my son chase pigeons

[mrsruffallo]

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?

I wouldn't let dd, because I hate it when they fly up at me, and I imagine other people do to.

Not sure why us Veggies got dragged into this though .

LynetteScavo LOL at the pigeon with the "very small Brian", I imagined a tiny park keeper with a badge that says "Park Keeper Brian" , looking after all the pigeons.

I suspect that if a giant pigeon chased my ds he'd think it was hilarious!

What are people's views of butterflies? Ds had fun chasing one round the garden the other week. He was about as close to catching it as a not very close thing, but it was a great game for about 2 minutes!

Well I suspect butterfly wasn't aware it was being chased takfa

I do think the anti chasers come across as rather pathetic.
The fact that my son and a few of his friends enjoy chasing pigeons every so often doesn't mean they disrespect animals in general or other children.

I do worry sometimes that we are becoming a nation of idiots who over think everything, even a child's natural impulse to run into a flock of pigeons and make them fly away.

rather pathetic?!

I hope you don;t mean me

No you are right mrsr. I am a bit pathetic

it's harmless mrsruffallo.....don't worry about it...

I've only read the first and last page of this, but am absolutely amazed at the suggestion of cruelty to animals. It has really made me think because I would have just thought of it as harmless fun.....

Is it still ok to eat fish cos they don't have any feelings?

I'm with you Seeker and find it interesting that the only folk rolling of eyes and being borderline offensive on the thread are those who think it's ok to let their brats darlings run riot scaring a living creature. As for ducks, ducklings, dogs, cats - they'll all be fair game for the little thugs. I mean - it's only a dumb animal isn't it ? Oh and to whoever suggested that sheepdogs rule by fear - get real. Never heard so much nonsense in my life.

'plink - opens wine.

mrsruffallo So let me get this right ...

I am Smug, Sanctimonious, Hypocritical, and a Bit Pathetic

Hurrah

Me too .

Squirrelchaser - LOL at Seeker - "I have chased and kicked a goose in front of the children."

My devout veggie DH once kicked a duck that was "harrassing" DS1. He has now been nicknamed Duck Socker by myself and my Mum (You may have to read Joseph Wambaugh's "The Choirboys" to get that one).

Mrsruffalo, if you really think that feelong that children should be allowed to scare small and unintelligent animals for their own pleasure is "pathetic", why did you post in AIBU?

Lots of us feel that letting our children frighten other creatures is "pathetic" parenting. And you would not know that had you not started this thread.

And me!

Not sure about pathetic, though. Or hypocritical, actually. Where did that come from???

YABVVU.

I had a comment in mind, all ready to type, when I saw Sassy's, and I can't put it any better so I'm pinching her's:

"I'm with you Seeker and find it interesting that the only folk rolling of eyes and being borderline offensive on the thread are those who think it's ok to let their brats darlings run riot scaring a living creature. As for ducks, ducklings, dogs, cats - they'll all be fair game for the little thugs. I mean - it's only a dumb animal isn't it ? Oh and to whoever suggested that sheepdogs rule by fear - get real. Never heard so much nonsense in my life.

'plink - opens wine. "

Well said that lady! Cheers!

Oh, mrsruffalo didn't say all those things, just various contributors back on page 200 ....

mrsruffalo - I never said it was harmful. I said it was an opportunity to teach children about recognising feelings in something they consider smaller and less significant than themselves. Really, if you can't accept an opinion that disagrees with yours at ALL I'm not sure why you even posted in AIBU.

Erm...

"feelong that children should be allowed to scare small and unintelligent animals"

should read "feeling that children should not be allowed to scare small and unintelligent animals"

Note to self - make sure you have included your NOT in the right place. Especially in AIBU.

DD likes to feed pigeons her Monster Munch, sometimes she runs over to them with the crisps and they fly away. It's not her fault they don't appreciate good crisps!

Can't help but laugh at the image of someone fending off a goose - I've done the same with my own (no I don't have an allotment, I have a smallholding)- but interestingly enough, they only started chasing my dc when someone else's little sods chased them in the first place!
If these children had learnt a little respect for living creatures in the first place, perhaps this wouldn't have happened.
Fair enough, the pigeons haven't been hurt, but it's about using opportunities to teach children what is appropriate and whats not.
Maybe it is different for those of us who live in the country.

So do the people who don't like children chasing pigeons actually agree with feeding pigeons?

I know Jamie, am working my way through the comments. Will respond to yours in about...erm 3 hours?
Between, wine, DH, and a LO who can't get to sleep it is taking a while I am afraid

No, OrmIrian you are not pathetic on the slightest, you should know I didn't mean you!

I know DP

Now, who else can I offend?

Sassy- they are about as far from little thugs as you could possibly imagine. They are lovely 3 yr old boys. Do you often call preschoolers such things?
YABU

"Oh and to whoever suggested that sheepdogs rule by fear - get real. Never heard so much nonsense in my life."

It was me!

So, sassybeast, enlighten me... do sheepdogs draw up a contract with the sheep? Or do the sheep just have so much respect for the dog that they just move out of the way?

And if your idea of a 'thug' is a toddler chasing pigeons, I want to live where you live!

I think this is becoming my favourite thread

Ok, I have the answer.

Chasing pigeons is a normal thing for an inquistive child to try. But I think a responsible parent should then say 'Tarquin, darling, be kind to the pigeons, don't scare them'.

Thus teaching respect to animals and weaker beings.

If parent says 'haha, look, the pigeons were really scared when you did that' then they are teaching that it is fun to scare animals and weaker beings (in which I incldue smaller/vulnerable children).

If a child learns to respect insects/birds/fish etc then they will learn to respect each other. If the message is given that 'it's just a pigeon' then they will have no respect for animals/people weaker than themselves.

I'm sure a pigeon isn't really traumatised by a child chasing it. But the child may grow up that little bit less caring and respectful, and may grow to really harm things or people.

As I said earlier, my children rescue insects and snails, and rather than saying 'FFS' as one poster kindly put it, I applaud them for their care for the world about them.