Hi, I’m Mama bear.

So the older Dexter gets the more playgrounds and play areas we go to. So of course that means he is interacting with more kids. More often then not those kids are older than him. So they do not always play like him. Well there seems to be another growing trend, mothers who don’t watch their children.  Mothers who play on their phones while their child picks on mine.

Let me just tell you I am not a fan of this. Today it happened to us again. We were at an indoor playground and Dexter was trying to play with a little girl who was maybe 5 or 6. So she decides to push him down. Dexter wasn’t hurt and just looked confused, so I didn’t say anything. When Dex cried out her mom, without looking up from her phone, says to her “tell him sorry”. He patiently waited but there was no sorry to be said by this girl. Cut to about 10 minutes later and Dexter pushed that girl. I want you to know that I do not allow Dexter to push kids, but I did this time. Because frankly I wanted to push her after she shoved my two year old to the ground. Well the little girl comes to me, not her mom, and says “He pushed me!”. I think my face must have just been blank because I did not say anything to her and I just looked at her trying to think of something not mean to say. Well she tells me again and now her mom is looking at me and all I could say was “I am sorry that he did that honey, but you pushed him first and now that is how he thinks you play. He is two years old and you are teaching him that.” Then I looked away and started playing with Max. They left the play area.

So was I in the wrong? I often watch kids pick on Dexter and I am tired of it. I am tired of watching my sweet little guy get pushed around and  older kids making fun of the things he says. If he wants to tell you that he is dark Vader and shout “ka kow ka kow” while pointing his finger light saber at you, that is okay. I don’t know why kids feel the need to tell him “NO YOU ARE NOT!” and my favorite so far “Well why don’t you go get your costume on then!?” Ughh because his mom has not made him one yet.. duh.  Why are kids so mean? Why can’t my kid just have an imagination or try to play with older kids who are at a play area (made for small children by the way) without getting hurt? And really my main question is why are these other moms not stepping in and telling them to stop.

This hasn’t been my only encounter with a child who makes me want to push them onto the ground and throw dirt on them while screaming MY KID IS MORE AWESOME THEN YOU LEAVE HIM ALONE YOU JERK. I feel like my “natural” instincts kick in and I am in full protective mode, where you better leave my kid alone or I will be a meany head. But I don’t see how that would help anyone so I restrain myself. A while back when Dexter had just turned two we were at another indoor playground and I watched as a big kid, I mean like 8 or 9 pushed him down the slide and told him he was going to slow. Lucky for him this was before I came into my own, and had the gall to tell a child nicely that Dexter is smaller than him and he needs to play nice. This has been one of the hardest things for me. I hate parenting  other peoples kids but if it means the difference between my kid not being picked on and being pushed down a slide I will step in. It’s still hard for me but I am getting better.

Do you stand up for your kids when another kid is picking on them? What do you say?