I Stood up to Two Bullies...Why Do I Feel So Badly About It?

I was walking up the rocks from the water, toward the stairs to camp.  There were two loud and raucous boys catching crabs in the tide pools.  I heard one say  "Look at that big, fat lady".  Then more loudly and more taunting, "Look at her big butt.".  I was about 20 feet away from them.  I stopped, turned and addressed them in my most authoritative, adult voice, "Shut up."  I said.  I turned and continued toward the stairs.  The bigger one (10-ish) said "He said it,  pointing to his compatriot.  I replied, " I don't care who said it.  Don't say it all.  It's rude." I turned and came up the stairs.

I relayed the particulars of the exchange with great grammie.  She said, "Good.  They need to be spoken to."  I asked my partner if she heard any of the verbal fisticuffs.  She had not.  When she heard the particulars, she agreed with her grandmother.  I was expecting some leeway to be garnered the boys because of their age, but a 10 year old bully is on his way to being an adult one.  And, I am not a fan of the term "shut up", but in this instance it seemed fitting, because 1)  it was something a 10 year old would get and 2) it was precisely what I wanted them to do.

I hope they have thought about the incident as much as I have and I hope they change their behavior.  At the very least, I hope the older one gets the courage to call the other one out for his behavior instead of waiting for someone else to do it.