Small children chasing pigeons in the park - harmless or mean?

So butterandjam your children know it’s OK to chase birds when you say so?
That’s a bit weird.

It’s a good job some of you don’t live near me or you would presumably have been horrified to see me clapping my hands and chasing pigeons off our lawn where we have put grass seed down!

The blasted things fly up in the trees and then a few minutes later, back they come.

I think we are going to admit defeat and put turf down.

Time flies. I remember DGD2 being frightened and upset after being attacked by a seagull on our local beach. I wrote her this limerick to cheer her up:

There was a young seagull called Rasta,
Who chased kids to make them run fasta,
So they threw him a chip,
It got stuck in his (beak) lip,
And he now prefers haddock with pasta!

I wasn't eating on the hoof, I was carrying my lunch in a paper bag.
And there it was - gone!!
People often eat icecreams in the street.

I take your point about over-fishing.

No seagulls are not scavengers we have made them hungry we have overfished the seas, my town has gone from a busy fishing town with the gulls following the boats, to a town with no fishing boats at all So the gulls are hungry and then customs have changed as a child and young person we NEVER ate in the street it was considered very poor manners you had your three meals at the table at home Now everyone eats on the hoof and wonders why their food gets pinched by clever gulls who would much prefer fish to chips
And we not only eat on the hoof but many don’t bother to use bins when they ve finished
Gulls of all kinds are on the endangered list
Humans are dirty not gulls

Well, it's mixed messages, isn't it!

Allira

Conundrum - how do you teach small children that it's wrong to chase pigeons in the park but it's ok to chase them off the raspberries and stop them pulling up the peas in the garden 🤔

My kids learnt which things they were permitted to do in their own garden, which they were not allowed to do in the park or when visiting other homes.

Oh yes, we don't want cats in the garden either!
Poo on your own territory.

I wouldn't be chasing a swan 😯

Teach her to respect all animals and wildlife.

A 2 yr old can't distinguish risks ; if chasing pigeons is fun and approved then why not chase swans; or cats in the garden, or dogs in the park.

She can't foresee any reasons not to but you can.

escaped

Where do pesky seagulls fit into this?
My DGC chase them because they eat their chips.

Oh, they're scavengers, aren't they!!

Where do pesky seagulls fit into this?
My DGC chase them because they eat their chips.

Allira

Conundrum - how do you teach small children that it's wrong to chase pigeons in the park but it's ok to chase them off the raspberries and stop them pulling up the peas in the garden 🤔

Good question.

Oh!

We used to pick primroses and bluebells.
Shocking. Not now, though.

70 years ago my mother was complaining about children chasing pigeons and I was never allowed to do it. She considered leaving them to get on with their lives undisturbed to be on a par with not picking wildflowers because you'd be stopping other people enjoying them.

Conundrum - how do you teach small children that it's wrong to chase pigeons in the park but it's ok to chase them off the raspberries and stop them pulling up the peas in the garden 🤔

Doodledog

Why are people bringing up stoning, kicking or taunting, when the thread is about a 2 year old running around in a park?

I would be the first to intervene if I saw someone abusing an animal, but I just don't see this as being on the same level at all.

Agreed- this is just an example that I remembered reading the thread- not at all the same thing. Those kids were also very young however, and the father watched and laughed. Small gravel, not stones.

Right back to another recent thread, hw do you teach children right and wrong.

Doodledog

Why are people bringing up stoning, kicking or taunting, when the thread is about a 2 year old running around in a park?

I would be the first to intervene if I saw someone abusing an animal, but I just don't see this as being on the same level at all.

Quite!

Doodledog

Why are people bringing up stoning, kicking or taunting, when the thread is about a 2 year old running around in a park?

I would be the first to intervene if I saw someone abusing an animal, but I just don't see this as being on the same level at all.

Ps I mentioned stoning and said it was on another level altogether.

Doodledog

Why are people bringing up stoning, kicking or taunting, when the thread is about a 2 year old running around in a park?

I would be the first to intervene if I saw someone abusing an animal, but I just don't see this as being on the same level at all.

Absolutely!!
It's an over-reaction.

Ps I heard DH shouting at the pigeons this evening and clapping. They just don't learn!

Allira

^What is the world coming to when children are so cruel^.

If you read my post above yours you will see it's nothing new.

Sadly, Allira.
🥲🥹😞😔

Why are people bringing up stoning, kicking or taunting, when the thread is about a 2 year old running around in a park?

I would be the first to intervene if I saw someone abusing an animal, but I just don't see this as being on the same level at all.

Claremont

I totally agree with those who feel it is wrong to allow children to chase birds. I was told to 'go away' (FO) when I told a father with young children who were bothering swans, throwing small stones, the female sitting on eggs.

We can all agree pigeons can be a pain, are too numerous in some seaside towns, etc, and that it is fair to shoo away ana trying to steal food. Absolutely nothing to do with children learning that it ok to taunt animals and cause distress to animals for fun.

Totally agree with you on this 👍

An absolute no from me.Children need to learn kindness and respect for all creatures. And I once read an article about a woman who rescued a pigeon that was being tormented by children and now raises awareness as apparently they are frequently kicked and ill treated.

What is the world coming to when children are so cruel.

If you read my post above yours you will see it's nothing new.