Happy Father’s Day to all the wonderful dads out there! We’re having a laid back, relaxing day today just hanging out with each other & enjoying being together!
In other news, Nathan & I went to a picnic Friday hosted by the mommy group we attend. Finally, after months of trying, I talked Nathan into eating a hamburger. He loved it! The picnic was so cool; it was held at a playground and they had blown up about 15 beach balls for the kids to play with along with bubble blowing and face painting. Nathan’s favorite part was the bubbles. They had two 5-gallon tubs filled with bubble soap, and Nathan thoroughly enjoyed dunking his hands into it. The only downside to the day was once we made our way over to the playgound, Nathan had an encounter with a mean kid (who was not part of the group.)
I don’t like mean kids.
He first tried telling Nathan that he wasn’t allowed to be in his little club. The kid also had a toy space shuttle, which he would literally put right in Nathan’s face. Nathan loves space shuttles, so every time the kid stuck it in his face, he wanted to play with it. The kid would get mad & snatch it away, saying Nathan wasn’t “allowed” to play with it because he’s not five.
*eye roll*
So I stepped in and firmy told the kid he was being rude. I said he didn’t have to share his toy if he didn’t want to, but he had no right to shove it in my child’s face then get angry when Nathan wanted to play with it. I suggested if he didn’t want to share it, he should put it away and not taunt others with it.
Then he said Nathan wasn’t “allowed” to play with him because Nathan didn’t have a bike like he. I told Nathan that cool kids don’t make up ridiculous rules. Then the kid told Nathan he wasn’t “allowed” to play in the playgound’s plastic castle. Only his secret little group could play in it. I nicely but firmy said that *I* say what Nathan is & isn’t allowed to do, and anyone that wants to play in the castle can play in the castle. I told the kid this was a community playground & if he wanted to have his secret group with his silly rules, he should just leave because its rude & hurtful to exclude other people like that. I asked him how he would feel if someone treated him that way. I later I told Nathan that some kids are really selfish, rude, and not nice and to see this as an example as how not to treat others.
The kid was there with his grandfather, who was apparently oblivious to the kid’s smartass attitude. I tried to be nice yet firm with the kid because I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of home life he might have. I’m not saying the kid had a bad home life, but you just never know. Regardless, it really irritated me to see someone be so rude to my child. Nathan is such a kind little soul. I hope he doesn’t go through a mean phase, but if he ever does, it’s my job as his parent to teach him to empathize with others & to treat them with kindness. I’m a big believer in the Golden Rule, to treat others how you would want to be treated.
I’m sure this will not be the last time he encounters a mean kid- and eventually, I know he’ll run into kids who are even meaner. I hope I can be a good example of how to be nice yet firm, refusing to let someone push him around. I can’t stand the bully mentality. And I clearly remember from my own childhood just how cruel kids can be. But if you stand up to a bully, chances are they will go find someone else to take their misery out on.
