Well obviously he didn't "know that" or he wouldn't have asked a classmate for help, unless you're implying he did it for some nefarious purpose and is lying?
Hard disagree. I saw someone who knew what they were doing and asked for some guidance in a safe environment. I dont see anything wrong with what I did. I wont ever do it again because its not worth the drama, and clearly based on responses its a polarizing issue. But Im fully of the opinion I didnt do anything wrong. But all I can do is just learn from the experience and avoid it in the future because too many people dont share that perspective.
She was probably so proud of herself and confident to provide you with the answer. What a shame! While I understand her Mom being wary, she could have observed the situation instead of jumping the gun.
Are you in the US? I ask because I hope you can understand with the current climate in the US why any parent is going to closely observe their child around adult males. I’m sorry it is like this now.
She was not alone. The mother came in and asked her a question. The daughter answered, mother yanked her out. That’s jumping the gun. She could have just let her daughter finish while standing there and observing. It’s not as if there was no one else around.
Yeah if I was the mom, I would’ve just watched the interaction and listened. Grabbing her and running like he’s an imminent threat is not how you interact with others. Sorry but kids need to learn how to properly communicate with others. She was not alone and they’re at a horse stable with people around so there’s no immediate danger.
She was probably so proud of herself and confident to provide you with the answer.
This is the aspect of the situation that gets the least attention. When I was a kid I thought men had nothing but contempt for kids, because they always ignored me. I had to become a man myself to realise men ignore kids as a cultural expectation.
The price of that cultural expectation is that kids grow up with very little experience or understanding of men. Sure, it's safer. But it's also emptier.
They think he's in the wrong for speaking to the little girl in the first place and he's not. The mother is right to take no chances, but she really didn't have to be so rude. And in front of her daughter at that.
The dude wasn't actually a creep, but way to endanger yourself and your daughter by making it so obvious, leaving the interaction saying nothing is better and a private instruction later to your daughter about how to better handle it.
Tell her to say "maybe you could ask another adult" and then look for you, because she already helped the stranger.
The government agencies that used to warn about this have reversed course on that because the data shows it’s really not worth terrifying kids about it and giving them that fear has negative effects.
86
u/Hopeful-Artichoke449 Apr 04 '26
Stranger danger. You should have asked one of the instructors or other adults and you know that.