The one where I go all Mom-crazy
There comes a time in every child’s life when they have to deal with a meanie. A bully. An unpleasant, difficult peer.
An 8-year-old jerkface, if you will.
Apparently for Annie, that time is now.
I. am. not. happy.
I’m kind of a warrior when it comes to my kids. I can’t help it – I come by this naturally. In high school, our principal referred to my mom as ‘The Big Guns’ on more than one occasion. Because if anyone so much as looked at one of her babies sideways, she’d have their head on a platter.
You might think that this would be embarrassing to a teenager. I, however, was not embarrassed. It felt fantastic to know that my mom had my back. Also, I had more than one teacher with documented mental illness that seriously needed to find a new career path, so if my mom had to be the one to point that out, so be it.
[I hope that my daughters will appreciate this about me as well, since there's not a chance I'll stop any time soon.]
So enter the little punk that needs a good spanking girl who does not have nice manners.
Honestly, Annie is a Pollyanna. And overly dramatic. And often sensitive.
I take full responsibility for the Pollyanna thing. The melodrama comes from her father. Sensitivity? Not a clue.
So she’s never had to deal with a mean girl before, and she’s ill-equipped. She’s probably also more easily hurt than your average 7 year old who hasn’t been kicked in the gut before.
<sigh>
It doesn’t help that Annie is off-the-charts small for her age. And this girl is more than a head taller, and bigger, and intimidating. And when Annie tries to talk to her, the girl tells her she’s stupid. She tells her to shut up. She tells her she doesn’t care about her loose tooth.
She tells her she doesn’t like her.
I’d like to tell the little girl exactly how I feel about her. But that would be wrong. And I’m supposed to be an adult. And in theory, I should be ‘mature’ and ‘above that kind of behavior.’
I’m working on it.
In the meantime, I have no idea how to deal with this. I’m torn between:
- Helping Annie understand that you encounter mean people in life and you have to pray for them and find a way to toughen up and work through it
- Leaving the extra-curricular activity where we encounter said girl, because Annie shouldn’t have to be anyone’s verbal punching bag in a supposedly fun activity
- Telling the girl’s parents that they suck and their child is a mean, mean, mean little brat
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. You don’t even need to tell me.
But I still want to.
And frankly, if I don’t get a favorable response from them when I address my concerns, I might just stoop that low.
Hopelessly Flawed – I warned you up front.
Tags: bully, mean girl, soccer
Life Lessons, Rants & Raves | Heather April 16, 2010
Facebook comments:
By Becca - Our Crazy Boys, April 16, 2010 @ 11:13 am
Ugh.
Jack calls them “meanie-heads.”
And I agree.
Go on now… be a Mom… Go protect Annie
[Reply]
By Eva, April 17, 2010 @ 10:11 am
I am the same. At the beginning of the school year Josh was bullied by a boy from a higher grade during the recess supposedly under the teachers watch. I went to the principal and warn them that I am about to call the police if that boy ever again will come close to my son. Interesting thing is, I did call the police and the way they see it, my son was assaulted at the school. Doesn’t matter by who. They write a report, they do the investigation. I didn’t filled up the report (maybe I should) but after that the school stuff, oh I tell you, they watched my son pretty close to make sure NOTHING happens to him again! We are here to protect our children, because sometimes they simply can’t…
.-= Eva´s last blog ..Handy Manny Motorcycle Toy =-.
[Reply]
By heather, April 19, 2010 @ 1:18 pm
This part of being a mommy is so hard. And I can relate to your situation- having tiny girlies. I have the smallest kids in their grades. I refuse to let them get pushed around. Over the years they have found their voice and that voice sometimes says things it shouldn’t to the bullies-but it works sometimes. You’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do!
.-= heather´s last blog ..some thoughts to ponder… =-.
[Reply]
By Amanda M., April 21, 2010 @ 6:33 pm
I feel for Annie. I was *AM* very overly sensitive. I am just catching up now and am reading your posts in order, so I am hoping that little girl has left her alone by now.
.-= Amanda M.´s last blog ..Saying Goodbye…. =-.
[Reply]