I am at the local pool, ALONE as I am many days during the week with all 4 kids. Carter, the 4 year old is the oldest, down to the baby who is almost 15 months. They are all playing, oh so nicely, in the baby pool, with the exception of Carter who is off with his pool buddy and his life jacket in the big pool.
We are joined by another little girl, who was just a few months older than our baby, and all the girls were playing extremely well together. UNTIL, this little girl, who we will call Shemily, came over and got in. Her mother was perched along side the pool reading a magazine. Shemily, was around the twins age, definitely over 3, definitely old enough to know better.
Cooper, our little one, was standing in the middle of the pool, minding her own sweet business when out of NOWHERE, Shemily comes over and pummels her in the head. And I don't mean shove, I don't mean bump, I mean SLAPPED her in the side of the head and knocking her all the way under the water.
She of course immediately wails, because, well, she didn't see it coming, and I imagine it hurt. The twins freak out because their baby sister rarely cries, so they run over to check to see if she's o.k. The mother of this dreadful little girl doesn't even look up from her magazine, and acts as if she doesn't even know what's going on.
In our family, we don't hit, not even each other, not even when they are at their meanest, and most certainly, my 3 older kids would NEVER (and I can say this because they are SO kind to the baby) hit a baby, their own sister, or anyone else's baby.
So, what would you do? Before I say what I did, I'd like to see if anyone would like to weigh in on this incident. Now, if you know me, you might be able to predict what I did, even if you do, I'd like to hear what other people would do in this scenario!
Poor Coop, bullied at such young age!
4 comments:
Release the hounds!! (Uncle Rob)
I read once that in play ground etiquette, it is OK to discipline another person's child if the child as done something to physical like hitting, bitting, etc.
I would have gone up to the little girl and firmly told her that we do not hit. If you want to play here then the hitting will stop. If she runs off to mommy, fine then the hitter is gone. Either way it would stop. (Some times I can to bold for my own good but I would expect the name if it was my kid misbehaving.)
After I cuddled Cooper, I'd calmly walk over to the other Mom and say, "We don't hit in our family." If she doesn't have anything to say (ie, keeps reading her mag), I'd turn to the bully and repeat what I said to the mom. If that didn't work, I'd complain to the lifeguards. BTW, I'm new to blogging and I'm running a Great Giveaway on my blog this week. Please stop in--I'd love to see ya!
I would as the mom to discipline her child and tell her that if she doesn't I surely will.
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