David Cameron thinks we should tell off other people's children - do you?

[TheDullWitch]

www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/education/article3308629.ece

Or do you fear getting beaten up?

DSs got told off loads in France, right in front of Me and DP. I can't say I liked it much.
But having said that I would tell off a child if he/she was behaving badly and their parent wasn't around.

but french attitudes to child rearing are very odd arent they

they all slap each other

we saw a french dad uitterly humliate his teen last year
dh wanted o go an slap him( he alwasys ays stuff like that and we all rol our eyes)

It was mainly highly made up, smoking, middle aged French women who had a problem with DSs being boisterous. One told DS2 off for bending down to say hello to her little dog. He's only 3.

ooha dn they dont share sand toys( inciting racial hatred eimoticon)

DP was not impressed with France. He much prefers Italy where strangers treat our DSs like royalty.

Sincere apologies to any French people reading this.

LyraSilvertongue - yes, that is the kind of telling off I referred to further up the thread.

Quite painful, especially when it comes from people who are hitting their own children in front of my eyes .

Anna8888, you're in France aren't you?
Or am I thinking of someone else?

Yes, I live in Paris

Everything Desiderata said. spot on.

I do tell off. It's become a second nature since DS so (too?) sweet. Now he's 4 and he's the one who uses the stern look and says that's not nice!

But tbh unless my kid is directly threatened or I notice some imminent danger, I just watch and let the kids sort it out.

Also rolling my eyes at the french. Not all of them of course, but basically, untill they can have intelligent conversation in greek and latin, you must lock them up!
at the story with the little dog.
Soooo typical. How dare you let your DS do that?

I don't hesitate to tell children off if their parents are not there. I think children need to know that unacceptable behaviour is always unacceptable, not just when their parents are watching. I remember once telling a young lad off several times in a playground. He was blocking the slide, pushing little girls off, that sort of thing. After about half an hour the other parents started complaining to me about him thinking I was his mother. Where she was I have no idea, but if I hadn't spoken to this boy he would have ruined lots of children's playtime.

Years of working in FE colleges has left me with no fear of feral or otherwise youths. I have developed the hard stare and authoratative voice that elicits a Pavlovian response from most of them. Actually, when approached, the vast majority of them are complete sweethearts. I think the media has demonised them so much that most of them are quite surprised and cooperative when you treat them reasonably.

Would depend on where we were and how old they were. If they were being unkind to my child or another then I sure would. I'd check otherwise to see if a parent was around though, unless it needed intervention straight away.

I have no problems if my friends tell my child off either when we're spending time together. I find it quite refreshing actually - would much rather I'd spotted it first but sometimes has more effect coming from another adult and a friendly one.