A recent controversy at Marshall’s Farm Shop, near Kintore, has been splitting opinions around the north-east.
Earlier this week, an Aberdeen family visited the shop which had recently been expanded to include a play park with an old tractor.
In a widely-shared post on social media, the mum claimed the owner of the business shouted at her two-year-old, tapped him on the shoulder, and pointed at his face after spotting him climbing from the tractor seat to the wheel arch.
She said this was before she or her husband had time to tell him to come down.
Despite being in the children’s play area, owners Kenneth and Moira Marshall are anxious the tractor is being damaged by being climbed all over – and have urged parents to keep a close eye on their child for safety reasons.
Marshall’s Farm Shop later issued an apology, admitting the incident had been handled “incorrectly”.
The popular business has a large following on social media with over 21,000 followers on Facebook.
Now social media users across the north-east having been share their thoughts on the fall-out.
Parents ‘need to take some responsibility’
Carly Brown wrote: “Massive difference between playing and jumping on. Parents actually need to take some responsibility. The owners weren’t wrong, the kid wasn’t wrong. The parents were for thinking this was acceptable.
Simon Hay commented: “Yes, I would let my kids play on it but I would also be watching them and not letting them climb where they shouldn’t.
“I think it’s common sense that the adults should be watching their kids and know they shouldn’t be on the wing or the bonnet would you let your kids play on the roof or bonnet of your car!? Sure you wouldn’t!”
Chris James Whiteside posted: “Yet you’d all moan if the bairn fell and broke his neck and they said nothing. Cana win.”
‘Tractor shouldn’t be in playpark’
However, not every social media user blamed the parents for the controversial incident – a number felt it was the Marshall’s Farm Shop owners in the wrong.
The owners even felt it was necessary to disable comments on their more recent social media posts.
Louise Marie Hamill commented: “If kids have to be micromanaged playing on it, it shouldn’t be in a play park. Won’t be taking my son here to be sworn and shouted at for behaving like a normal two-year-old!”
Clare Coutts posted: “Let’s be clear – it was the owner that shouted and swore at the young child. If the tractor can’t withstand children playing on it, they need to remove it from the play area.”
Samantha Stuart wrote: “If they did not want children climbing on all or parts of the tractor then it should have been signposted. They have hay bales and a tractor inside that is clearly signposted ‘do not touch/sit’, if they wanted the same treatment outside then they should have added the same sign.”
Conversation