A mum has been left fuming after a stranger told her young son to 'shut up' while they were enjoying a nice dinner at a local family pub.
The woman said that her children were just giggling and chatting when an older man at another table got annoyed with them - despite there being plenty of other children in the room as well.
She and her husband both reacted strongly to the man's behaviour and she's been left unsure as to whether she did the right thing by 'stooping to his level'.
Writing on Netmums, she asked fellow users: "How would you react to this??? Do you think it is acceptable to tell someone else's child to shut up!?
"We were at a FAMILY pub... major emphasis on family, there were loads of families with young children there. Husband and I sat in a corner with our two boys (aged 3 and 6) they had just been to the beach and were tired but excited and talking about their day and their previous days. The waitress was lovely, chatting away and making them giggle.
"During eating our dinner four people sat on a table near us... two couples probably in their late 60s. We had all finished our dinner and carried on chatting and laughing. Then my son really giggled and the man turned round and shouted really loudly to him to SHUT UP!
"Husband and I looked at each other in total shock."
The mum went on to say that her husband made a remark to the man, telling him to "watch his mouth" or he would end up "wearing his dinner".
She claims she made a "snide comment" about the incident "loud enough for them to hear" and despite being "absolutely furious" for the rest of the evening, she's not sure if she reacted in the right way.
"I wished I had stood up and politely asked the man if he thought it was acceptable behaviour to tell a child to shut up? Then to reply to his answer in a dignified manner... I kind of feel I stooped to his level and annoyed at myself... But still annoyed at him... just can't believe the sheer cheek of it," she added.
Dozens of people replied to the post, with many agreeing they'd have been angry with the stranger.
One said: "I think we all have 20/20 vision in hindsight and can think of a million clever things to say. Your reactions may not have been what you wanted them to be but in the heat of the moment, your brain doesn't work as normal as you are busy trying to determine if this person is a threat. That may seem over the top but your body will react that way. You are having a nice time when someone invades that time in an aggressive fashion.
"Don't be too hard on yourself. Do what I do and practise what I would have said so that if it happens again you're prepared. However, this is a surefire way to guarantee it never happens again."
Another wrote: "The two things that stick out to me are family pub and giggling. If a child is running about shouting and balling I can understand people getting annoyed, but like you say he was giggling. It's lovely to hear a child laugh why begrudge that?"
A third posted: "What a cheek! I would have said something to him, but then I am a stickler for manners from both children and adults."
What would you have done in this situation? Let us know in the comments below.
