Adventures in the park

I took Nate to the park yesterday afternoon after running a few errands. For most of the time, there weren't any other kids there, which I like since Nate is often one of the youngest and sometimes can get accidentally pushed around (older kids forget how wobbly and unsteady toddlers might be on the play structures). The only other child there ended up being a little girl who was maybe 2 and a half--a good head taller than Nate. Nate mostly played on his own but tried to instigate play with her a couple of times, walking up to her and then turning and running, trying to get her to chase him (she didn't). (On another note, this is definitely progress for him as far as social interaction goes.) He also followed her one time to one of the play structures, but she kept yelling, "Stop!" and "No!" at him, so I was glad when he decided to go off on his own again. (I wasn't going to tell him to go somewhere else; he wasn't doing anything wrong, so, if anything, the other mother should have told her kid to stop complaining 'cause the baby wasn't doing anything to her.) Nate and the girl ended up at the same slide structure later. While she was going up the steps, she half kicked, half nudged Nate with her shoe to make him go away (the mother saw this, but was on the phone so didn't say anything). He took a step back and waited for her to go up. After she was up the three or four steps, he started to go up. She thought for a second, turned back around, came down the steps, and kicked Nate hard in the face. It surprised and hurt him, and he started crying strongly. The mother got off the phone, and said, "Olivia, that wasn't nice! Please say you're sorry! That was not nice."

Excuse me? Please say you're sorry? That's how you're going to address your child maliciously kicking a much younger child in the face? I was seething. I picked Nate up and held him there long enough for the kid to laugh out an I'm sorry, and I walked away. My instincts were telling me to yell at this mom (I was angrier at her than at the girl, who obviously doesn't receive much discipline). If the mom doesn't believe in spanking, fine, then take the child off the slide, sit her on a bench, and give her a time out...just do something.

This situation is not unique--I'm sure every mom witnesses her child being hurt by another, especially at playgrounds, but it still makes me mad. And I felt so bad for my little Nate, who just wanted to play and in this instance was really just minding his own business, and here came a little brat who was so mean to him.

Nate is fine, by the way. :)