Shouting at someone else's kids

[Cathryn]

That's what I did this morning.

Went with some friends to Tropical World in Leeds. Stood outside, I was pretty shocked at the number of kids chasing pigeons, some parents actually encouraging them to do so. Just thought it was mean. Anyway, one little boy starts chasing and I found myself shouting 'Don't chase pigeons'!! Kid looked terrified and ran off. His Mum told me 'I can tell him, thank you!" (although she didn't) and marched him away.

I do feel a bit bad - there must have been a more grown up way to handle it and I would be incensed if someone shouted at my kid. But I'd also be mortified!! As a non-Mum, how wrong is it to shout at someone else's kid?

 

[PaulB]

As a non-Mum, how wrong is it to shout at someone else's kid?

It takes a village to raise a child. If the parents aren't up to the job, someone else will have to take over. There's too little of this sort of thing in the world nowadays and you did exactly the right thing.

 

[colly]

Don't feel bad about it, you did the right thing.

A couple of lessons will have been learned too. First, the kid will (might) think twice about doing that again, and second, the mum might actually say something to her kid the next time he is up to no good rather than waiting for someone else to do her job for her.