Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Calling her out

Today while eating lunch at the ever delicious Chick-fil-a ( if you haven't ever eaten there... do!) celebrating Abby's first day of preschool... we encountered a bully!!! After we ate our lunch we all went into the little play area. Abby loves it here.. so she is in heaven, but I was a little bit perturbed with the other moms in the restaurant because they just dump their kids in the play area and then go sit and chat it up with other moms. I am kinda anti dumping off the kids.. simply because I want to know what's going on. So we are just playing around having a good time.. and then enters the bully. Of course her mother just dumped her off... and she was instantly devilish! She was even pushing over little babies.. that's too much! After a little while of the taunting, hitting, and yelling by the little girl, I was getting a little upset. So I probably shouldn't have but I kept watching the little girl and telling her not to hit anymore and to apologize to the children she has hurt/yelled at. She gets all rude and I am thinking to myself... where is your mother?? Why isn't she watching you? Why are you such a little brat?? Pretty soon she gets out of control and I decide to go rat her out!! I know I know I'm such a tattle.. but it was too much. So I walk out and find her mom and totally call the little girl out. It actually felt really good. I tried to be as nice as possible to the woman.. but I still really wanted to emphasize that her daughter was a little fart! But now I feel kinda bad and mean... So now I am wondering if I did the right thing? Am I horrible?? Would you as parents have done the same thing??

12 comments:

Tara McLean Derricott said...

Sometimes it's so hard to know what the right thing to do is. I try to fly below the radar and interfere as little as possible, but when small kids are getting hurt, I would definitely jump in and do something about the situation!!! The more a child gets away with bullying, the more they will do it, so I think you did the right thing by talking to the mom about it!

Unknown said...

I think you did the right thing. You used tact, right? What did the woman say back to you or how did she react?

Mama Wisch said...

You Derricott's make me feel so much better! Thanks!!

The Mom just kinda of sat there and shook her head.. then slowly got up to get the little girl. If it was me... I would be running to Abby making sure she knew she was IN trouble!!

Unknown said...

The mom probably just doesn't know any better. I think we ought to help each other -- as brothers and sisters -- more often than we do. Too often we sit back and assume that somebody should already know better.

Nice work, Sister Wischmeier! I'll make sure my kids behave next time we go to the playground, too.

Unknown said...

It just occurred to me that you should have called the lady a "chicken".

;)

Kris Kanenwisher said...

I'm the wrong Mom to talk too. I try to not to be rude, but I don't hesitate to take said child to Mom with behavior issues. I watch my children (half the time, just like this situation, other peoples kids too), and expect others too in a public place as well. Call me old fashioned, but kids should have rules, manners, and parents who watch them. Don't be afraid to stick up for right. There's never need to be rude about it, nobody's perfect, for all you know Mom could have been having a cruddy day, but if other kids are being hurt and bullied and you watched, you're being worse than the parent not noticing.
Good call, don't worry about it.

Emma said...

I don't always keep a constant eye on my kids when we are at a playground etc., but I do check on them often. If I happen to miss my child behaving poorly I would certainly want to know about it so I could correct it. I'm sure you did the right thing.

Laurel said...

I totally would have done the same thing. We love you and think you are wonderful.

cat said...

yeah, i totally would have (and have) done the exact same thing in that situation. things lke that are NOT okay, and if they are left, they just become worse. good for you

Gabriel said...

One time Dad dropped off James & Hyrum at Hardee's to play in the "balls". When he came home without them, Mom about flipped her lid. I think they were like 9 and 3, respectively. Dad's and Mom's definitely have different outlooks on what is and isn't appropriate for the kids!

I think you did the right thing! That Mom's gonna think twice before leaving her kid alone at the Chick-Fil-A!

Mama Wisch said...

For clarification, I was also there with Mike Shatzer (we were about 12) and John Shatzer, and Dad didn't drop us off, Martin Gwynn did. Mom still was upset at Dad for letting us go, though.

Bri said...

You did the right thing. Parents need to know what their kids are doing and to correct it. I'm sure you Sweet Allison were just fine with what you said to the mom.

Hey did you get my package?