I SEEM to have developed a habit of trying to help people understand that children are human and vulnerable.

I have a dislike of forward-facing pushchairs where the child cannot see the mother, and vice-versa.

At a bus stop recently, a child in one of these buggies opened its eyes and was immediately dazzled by the bright sunshine.

It started to cry and rub its eyes, but the mother responded by stuffing crisps into the child’s mouth.

I pointed out that the child was dazzled by the sun, and was told in abusive language to mind my own business.

On another occasion in a supermarket, a child was wheeled out facing the sun and immediately screwed up its eyes and started to cry.

The mother had stopped to shout at an older child and turned to the baby and shouted very loudly at it to shut up.

She also applied the standard technique of enlightened motherhood in trying to push first food, and then a dummy, into the child’s mouth.

Again I suggested that the sun was in the child’s eyes and received abuse from the mother, and swear words from the male accompanying her.

I am sure that, in both cases, the children will grow up to be similar to their parents and probably become anti-social.

R Dunlop, Nevill Avenue, Hove

I AM not a do-gooder – believe me. But I ask you this: have you ever seen an animal feed its young?

If so, is there anything wrong with this? After all, breast is best, eh?

But not according to the narrow minds of some people I was dinning with recently.

I was at a Shoreham restaurant with my partner and our daughter.

I was sat in the corner with my daughter on my lap, across from me was my partner and to the left of me was our pram, with its hood up.

It was at this point that I began to breastfeed my child.

I felt we were tucked away enough to not disturb or offend other people.

But the looks and comments, which we could clearly hear, became more obvious.

I’m a better person for keeping my mouth shut, I thought. But why should I be?

Just as I was about to air my views, my partner stepped in.

“Is there a problem here? We don't want to offend anyone,” he said.

“No, no,” said one family sarcastically, with a disgusted attitude on their faces.

These people continued to stare and comment loudly.

They didn’t come up to us or talk to us. If they were that bothered, perhaps they could have moved to another table.

So, after a sleepless night worrying about this, I’m going to say this.

How dare you make mothers who are breastfeeding feel this way.

I was covered in most respects. I was a mother breast feeding her five-month old baby in the corner of a family restaurant.

What’s so disgusting about that?

Remind me what century we are in?

N Smith, Sycamore Close, Portslade