This week the sun came out quite often and so B and I made our way to various playgrounds around the area. Some days were hits, some were misses, but B seemed to enjoy them all.
One day was a particularly busy day for the playground on base, I took him to the busier playground because there were more kids his age. However, I found a lot of the kids were just being nasty to one another.
"Can we play together?"
"No!"
"Can we play together?"
"Sure!" *runs away and doesn't let child keep up*
One kid in particular was very nasty, yanking kids off the slides, asking to play tag and then shoving them with full force to the ground. And he would just watch, waiting for the other kid to cry before running off. I noticed him immediately, but couldn't figure out if a parent or guardian was around. I believe it was a few daycares that were there, and I couldn't defer who belonged to who.
Regardless, I pointed this child out to B and asked him to tell me if the kid asked him to play. I didn't mention why, and B just nodded and ran along. Sure enough, running out of kids to bully the little boy targeted B next. They ran up to the fence I was sitting by and he was staring me down in such a challenging way. I knew immediately we needed to leave. B is submissive to other kids, he doesn't realize he's being bullied or being mistreated he just wants to be a part of the fun. So I took B from the situation to another park. The little girl at this park was also being particularly sassy, "no boys allowed" and all that. However, her mother was present and aware of the situation and took care of it. I chalked it up to a full moon or something in the air.
Then today while I was getting my hair done, K took B to a playground nearby. This was on a base again, in the housing development, so a lot of kids were out playing alone. A little girl a year or two older than B was out and shoved him to the ground so hard he scratched his face up. Once K realized she was being mean (at first he thought B simply tripped) he took B away again. No parent in sight for this little one.
K and I were discussing it, because it upset him that even here stationed overseas these kids are being mistreated or ignored to the point of them becoming little bullies and being mean and nasty to one another.
It's hard to be a parent in these situations. The momma bear in me wants to turn around and shove these kids back as retaliation. My son's face is covered in scratches! I'm upset! But the bigger part of me knows that's now how you react. And even if a parent was there, if that's how their child behaves I can only imagine how it would be to interact with them.
It seems that walking away is usually the best option. I just can't believe it has had to happen so often in such a short period of time.
K asked me, "Why do kids have to be so mean to each other?"
And I countered, look at how adults treat each other. Look at the state of the world we live in.
Luckily, B is okay, and I strive to set an example for him in how to act and respond to those negative things in life. But it's hard for me, a reactor to those things, a hothead, if you will, to be calm.
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