We took the boys to the park yesterday. This is a great park but not in our town (for the sake of the town, I wont name it bc I'm about to bash it)
The town is a prestigious one. Wealthy people, gorgeous homes, great school system and along with that goes some snobbish and arrogant people.
The boys love this park so they were having fun running around, climbing up the ladder and excited to go down some big slides. Until the bully stopped them. The seven (?) year old bully who was there with his sister and two friends. The mothers were at the bottom of the structure but hardly paying attention as to what was going on.
First, youngest wanted to go down the slide. Bully was blocking him. Youngest looked at me for guidance so I suggested that he say excuse me. Bully says what? I didn't understand "excoooz me" (Youngest is just 3, forgive me bully that my son doesn't speak as eloquently as you do) Bully didn't move. I speak up, loud enough for the mothers to hear, hoping they will tell the bully son to let my kid by.
"He's just a little boy", I say, "please let him by". He looks at me (which is more than I can say for his Mom and friend) and does eventually let him on. He slides down after him and nudges him a bit. I pretend not to notice as youngest seems okay by this and off he runs. THEN they had nerf guns with them (ok,maybe not guns but they were using them as guns. Something my boys know nothing about) They started to hit my boys on the head with them. I then step in asking the Moms to please tell their kids not to bonk my kids on the heads. They look at me like I'm asking for something unreasonable.
A few minutes pass. I watch bully stick out his tongue at Jared, do some more subtle gestures and then...my husband steps in.
Both my boys are about to go down two different slides together (racing each other) Bully comes behind youngest and begins to push him. Dear Husband did not have as much patience as I did and frankly, I had lost mine at this point.
HEY, he yells in a tone that I really thought he may run up the slide and grab bully by the shirt. I look over at the mothers...well that got their attention finally. My first reaction was to yell at Dear Husband because even though bully deserves to be yelled at, it's not our place to yell at other people's children. However, bully's parents were hardly supervising. I tell Mom that bully son was pushing my son. What does she say? Well was my son there first? Because after all, that would justify pushing a 3 yr old head first down a big slide. No, I say. He wasn't. Bully's mom's friend says were leaving, with a smile. Clearly thinking I'm the unreasonable one here for causing such attention to her four angelic children from prestigious town. They move to the other part of the park all the while whispering and looking back at Dear Husband and I.
My boys play happily,without incident from other children in prestigious town and we leave. All the while my blood boiling.
I cannot stand when parents do not watch their children at the playground. It is not my responsibility to discipline others yet if it comes to my child's safety, I will step in.
I'm also extremely grateful that we didn't end up moving to prestigious town. I'm not sure firstly that I could keep up with the Jones' and although I may be stereotyping, am not sure I want to meet others like bully and their parents. I'm sure they exist in every town but meanwhile, I haven't run into them yet in our town.
The town is a prestigious one. Wealthy people, gorgeous homes, great school system and along with that goes some snobbish and arrogant people.
The boys love this park so they were having fun running around, climbing up the ladder and excited to go down some big slides. Until the bully stopped them. The seven (?) year old bully who was there with his sister and two friends. The mothers were at the bottom of the structure but hardly paying attention as to what was going on.
First, youngest wanted to go down the slide. Bully was blocking him. Youngest looked at me for guidance so I suggested that he say excuse me. Bully says what? I didn't understand "excoooz me" (Youngest is just 3, forgive me bully that my son doesn't speak as eloquently as you do) Bully didn't move. I speak up, loud enough for the mothers to hear, hoping they will tell the bully son to let my kid by.
"He's just a little boy", I say, "please let him by". He looks at me (which is more than I can say for his Mom and friend) and does eventually let him on. He slides down after him and nudges him a bit. I pretend not to notice as youngest seems okay by this and off he runs. THEN they had nerf guns with them (ok,maybe not guns but they were using them as guns. Something my boys know nothing about) They started to hit my boys on the head with them. I then step in asking the Moms to please tell their kids not to bonk my kids on the heads. They look at me like I'm asking for something unreasonable.
A few minutes pass. I watch bully stick out his tongue at Jared, do some more subtle gestures and then...my husband steps in.
Both my boys are about to go down two different slides together (racing each other) Bully comes behind youngest and begins to push him. Dear Husband did not have as much patience as I did and frankly, I had lost mine at this point.
HEY, he yells in a tone that I really thought he may run up the slide and grab bully by the shirt. I look over at the mothers...well that got their attention finally. My first reaction was to yell at Dear Husband because even though bully deserves to be yelled at, it's not our place to yell at other people's children. However, bully's parents were hardly supervising. I tell Mom that bully son was pushing my son. What does she say? Well was my son there first? Because after all, that would justify pushing a 3 yr old head first down a big slide. No, I say. He wasn't. Bully's mom's friend says were leaving, with a smile. Clearly thinking I'm the unreasonable one here for causing such attention to her four angelic children from prestigious town. They move to the other part of the park all the while whispering and looking back at Dear Husband and I.
My boys play happily,without incident from other children in prestigious town and we leave. All the while my blood boiling.
I cannot stand when parents do not watch their children at the playground. It is not my responsibility to discipline others yet if it comes to my child's safety, I will step in.
I'm also extremely grateful that we didn't end up moving to prestigious town. I'm not sure firstly that I could keep up with the Jones' and although I may be stereotyping, am not sure I want to meet others like bully and their parents. I'm sure they exist in every town but meanwhile, I haven't run into them yet in our town.
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