Playground Pests

I really dislike how cruel little kids can be...

Kaden is naturally a very kind-hearted kid. He really cares about others and wants to please them.

Last year we had an issue with one of his "friends" beginning to bully him. This "friend" tried to shove wood chips in Kaden's mouth, kicked him as he was hanging from the monkey bars, and continually hit him with his backpack. We had a long talk with Kaden about sticking up for himself, and throughout the next few weeks we basically took care of that situation.

Last night we asked Kaden how his day was. I could tell something was wrong and tried to pry it out of him. He then started to cry and explained how he had gotten into a fight that day. We asked him what happened. He said that he was playing kickball with a group of kids, he called out how many outs there were, and one of the kids said, "We know, Kaden!" in a really rude voice. Kaden, being too timid to say anything, walked away. And that was the extent of his fight.

We told him we were very proud of him for simply walking away. We explained that it's the right thing to do instead of yelling back or hitting. By this point he was just so frustrated that he was crying because (in his words) he is 9 years old and he should not cry like that at 9 years old.

I just want to say how much I love this kid! He is emotional and even overly sensitive sometimes. But I am the same way. :) I tend to read in to others actions too much as well. I guess he comes by it honestly. :)

In reality, though, I just want him to realize that these things happen and we just have to move on. At the moment, it seems like the end of the world. But give it a week and you will barely remember what happened.

These are the things we are dealing with on a daily basis as a parent. We try to teach them things that we as parents haven't even mastered. And in the end, we hope it's enough.