This week I had my visit by Momma Bear, the Bear that I became in my Momma role.
Maria and I were at the park with some other friends and their kids. It was WARM! The SUN was out!
We were in heaven!
We had been at the park quite a while. We had eaten lunch...my phone had been doused with Capri Sun...we had visited the park bathroom AND some of the kids (including my own) had dropper their shorts to pee on the grass (I guess I have had Maria pee one too many times in parking lots, parks, you name it!)...we had played and played.
All the Moms were gabbing and soaking in the lovely sun when I looked over to see Maria with four other girls, all much older than her. One of the girls was throwing dirt, big handfuls of dirt. I looked again, and thought I saw her throwing the dirt at Maria who was right in front of her, but thought, "No way, why would she be throwing dirt at MY daughter!" As I was thinking this, I asked my friend in disbelief, "Is that girl throwing dirt at Maria?" and started running over to Maria as I donned my Momma Bear gear (apparently we all have it!). I was running and saying (loudly), "Hey, stop, stop, STOP THROWING DIRT!!!!" I got over to them and first asked Maria if she was throwing dirt at any of the girls, to which she replied, "I no throw Mommy." I told her if she threw dirt she needed to apologize. THEN I proceeded to ask the girl why she was throwing dirt at this little girl who was not even half her age? The girl just looked at me and gave me a smirk. I ask to apologize, and she wouldn't. I gave her the whole shpeel about how she is older and needs to set an example for the younger kids and not pick on them...ya da ya da, and still she just smirked. So I said to Maria, "Maria these are mean girls. They are throwing dirt at you. If anyone is mean to you, leave them and come find me. If you are mean to someone you need to say sorry." So we left, and I was really HOT by then, and not because of the Oregon sun.
This was a new experience for me. It made me sad. It made me grateful to be a mom. It made me glad that Maria was "the nice one," as I know this will not always be the case. It made me think about how important it is to teach my children how to be kind, to share, to love, to care, to say (and mean) "I am sorry."
On the way home, Maria kept saying her ear hurt. I checked it out when we got home to see that her ear was still full of dirt. This girl was COVERED. Even after a bath and serious shake down at the park and at home, she still had sand in her hair...all a reminder of what happened. It kind of made me proud to I stick up for my little girl, and by doing so, sticking up for myself and my responsibility and privilige of being a mom.
Still tho, I have so much to learn!!!
4 comments:
Good for you! Aren't you glad it wasn't your child throwing the dirt and giving a mean little smirk when asked by an adult to apologize?
This week we were at a play, and during intermission we went out to get drinks at the drinking fountain. After Lili drank she said, "This water tastes funny." A high school or possibly college aged boy with his girlfriend mimicked her in a mocking voice "this water tastes weird." It broke my heart to hear her ask me "Mommy, why did that boy copy me?" Seriously? An adult??? I'm sure that impressed the girl he was with for him to make fun of a 6 year old...
Some people never grow up/learn.
Poor Maria. It is one thing when the kid is close to the same age, but totally different when it is a big kid picking on a little kid. I remember a similar thing happened when Sofia was Maria's age. A 5 year old boy totally shoved her onto her back, and I kind of flipped. The parent treated it like it was no big deal. Having kids who are older... I totally get that with kids their own age they can have problemas, but kids that age no better than to pick on a little kid.
All i have to say is its a good thing i wasnt there bc i would have TKO'd that girl. How dare she mess with my maria.
Yeah! It's tough sometimes. I remember crying the first time some random kid pushed Maren down at the store when she was about 18 months old. She wasn't hurt just sad and scared. Sheesh what are we in for when they get older.
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