About 5 minutes after we got there, Averi was playing and just minding her own business when 2 little girls who were around her same age started to bully her. They were chasing her and yelling ugly things like "go away", "your not our friend", "this is not your house" "this slide is ours", "your a ghost", "get away from us" etc. Well Averi's pretty tough when it comes to things like this but after a while it started to wear on her. At first I ignored them thinking "maybe I just thought I heard them say that" but as it continued I realized that they were being downright mean and hateful. I was hoping their parents would say something to them so that I wouldn't have to. But they did NOTHING. They sat on their butts and watched the whole thing.
So I lost it! I'd had enough as I watched Averi walk over to me with her head hanging down and say "mommy those girls are not being nice to me". So as they ran over toward her again still yelling ugly comments I said "THAT IS ENOUGH! You are NOT being nice and you need to leave her alone" One little girl actually talked back to me and said "well that's our slide and she can't play with us" and I said "that is NOT YOUR slide! Nothing in here belongs to you and she can play on whatever she wants to in here! She wasn't bothering ya'll!" Then they ran off. Again their parents sat and stared me down through the whole thing but said nothing to them.
Later one of the little girls came up and said to me "you scare us". I had to laugh to myself...it was hilarious. They've probably never been told "no" in their life.
So what would ya'll have done? Would you have said anything to the parents or just addressed the kids? My thing is when it's something involving my child and their parents aren't saying anything, then I will.
Here are a few pictures of the kids playing after the drama...
Jeanna was with me so we stayed on the opposite side of the room from the parents the whole rest of the time. And NO WAY could I not find Averi's jacket when we were leaving and one of the mean girl's mom was sitting on it so I had to go right up to her and ask her for it. I was petrified and ran out of there as she glared at me:)
8 comments:
http://skocelai.blogspot.com/2009/02/dont-mess-with-mama.html
I was a classmate of Jon's at SMCS. Found your blog through Jennifer Weed's blog. Small world...
Here is link to a post on my blog as to what I did when some kid was tormenting my daughter. Incidentally, we were there Friday as well (I actually learned about Kid's Gym last year through your blog.) and we must have missed you. However, not sure if it was the same girl, but I had to step in and ask another blondie to please stop shoving my daughter off one of the platforms.
You defffinitely did the right thing.
There's a little part of me that wants to find out from you what those girls look like, hike it up to Kid's Gym and just wait for them to start messing with Sam so I can give them a little talking to myself!
Also, this thing tends to happen ALL the time at Chick-fil-a playgrounds. Wouldn't you agree? I find myself being the only parent in there quite often. If there's only one or two kids, no biggie, but if there are a bunch and most of them are bigger than my kid...I'm gonna supervise. Somebody's got to!
I would CERTAINLY have addressed those mean girls! Once anyone messes with my children, it becomes MY business... and I have "stepped in" on many occasions like that! ;) Good for you!
I totally would have done the same thing, Jaci! And if my kid is ever the one being ugly, you'd better believe we are outta there and he's gonna get it! ;) I have seen this all too often. Like Greta said, Chick-fil-a is a perfect example. Or even outdoor playgrounds, where a group of moms just sits at a picnic table chatting it up, while their little darlings are free to behave as they please. I can't believe those parents actually sat there watching the whole thing and never did anything!
That's very disappointing about Kid's Gym, I was thinking about going sometime soon!
I can't stand it when kids are mean to Luke! I probably would have done the same thing you did, I don't have enough guts to say something to parents, but being a teacher, I was used to calling kids out when they were misbehaving!
I went to school with Jon forever..i graduated a year before his class.
I think you did the right thing but saying something to the girls...i would have been nervous but I would have said something to the moms as well. I hate bullying more than anything..there is no reason for one child to be mean to another.
I hope you have a better experience next time around!
Mary Kate Pynes
I definitely think you did the right thing. It probably wasn't worth confronting the parents about - they're definitely not going to change and probably would have gotten very defensive and aggressive, but stepping in with the mean girls just had to be done! Isn't it amazing how enraged you can become as a mom when someone messes with your child? I remember being in the chick-fil-a playground several months ago just after Eli turned a year old and this bigger kid (probably close to 3) was pulling his hair and laughing at him while Eli just sat there and cried. If I could spank someone else's child without getting thrown in jail, I would have done it right there. Instead he just got a very stern talking to while I scooped up my distraught child. My blood still boils every time I think about that...
This happens to me all the time. I take Caleb to Soccer Tots and there is this kid Finn who is the biggest bully. He has punched Caleb in the tummy, tried to take his ball and kicked away his stuff. One time I was waiting for him down behind the net. Just waiting for him to do something to caleb. I yelled "HEY, leave him alone get your own ball and keep your hands to yourself" he too looked at me in shock as if no one has ever told him no, or corrected his behavior. His prissy mom sat drinking her coffee and chatting it up with her friend oblivious to his behaviour. It ticks me off. He steered clear of my glaring looks and Caleb the rest of the day. We have soccer tots again today and I've got my fight face ready!
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