There are moments in life when you come face to face with one of your biggest fears and you find yourself with choices: a) run; b) cry; c) remain calm; d) stare it down; e) fight through it!
Sadly, I did not choose this moment to showcase my own strength; rather, I chose b. Well, didn't choose it really, it just happened that way.
So, first, picture this:
That's right. Playstructure. So much fun! Hannah loves it and we usually go Saturday mornings after dance class with some of her friends. Hannah is one of the brave ones who goes all the way up to the top and sits in that little bubble thing.
So yesterday, we went with two of her friends. Like usual, Hannah went immediately to the bubble - the same green one up there in the pic. While the other two moms went to get food, I agreed to watch the kids.
As I'm watching, smiling and waving, one of her friends comes in with her. How cute, I think, as they sit there together and navigate with the steering wheels. Then, I watch as the other little girl reaches behind Hannah's head, grabs her entire pony tail and yanks. Hard. Hannah's head snaps back so I can see her vulnerable little neck. My heart jumps. Okay, I think, not such a big deal if it only happens once. I make excuses: The other little girl has short, dark hair - maybe she just likes Hannah's long, strawberry blonde hair. So I give her the benefit of the doubt.
In the aftermath, Hannah looks shocked, and a little hurt, but she rubs the top of her head and does not cry. Just as my breathing returns to normal, the other little girl reaches out and does it again, except even harder. Hannah starts to cry. I run over to the bottom and yell up the tube - Hannah come down here. Come on baby! But she's crying and I don't know if she can hear me. Then, she starts crying harder. I back up and look up at the bubble again and am horrified at what I see. This girl is whaling on my kid. Drawing her little fist back high above her head and crashing it down on my kid's head over and over, each time eliciting a scream from Hannah.
She's hurting my child and I can't get to them to break it up. I panic.
I go over to the bottom again and yell while weighing the consequences of climbing up in there myself. Hannah starts to mellow out. I back up and look up into the bubble and see her trying to leave, but the other little girl is in her way and I see that little dagger-fist raise again. I run over to the bottom again as my kid screams and yell, _____ STOP HITTING HER! STOP HITTING HANNAH! I'm crying and other people are coming over. One mom offers to send her tiny, skinny teenage daughter up there to get her and I say Please! So she heads up and I back up and try to see as my kid screams again. By this time, Hannah is on the ground, so I can't really see her, but I can see the other little girl above her.
What the---???
The other girl's mom comes in with food and takes one look at my face, streaming with tears, and asks What's wrong? Are you okay?
Now, excuse my melodramatic answer, but I said, through tears, your kid is beating the crap out of mine!
She looks stunned, then rushes to put her food down and heads into that tiny tube herself. She comes out clutching my kid, who's clinging to her and crying. I grab her and take her into a corner and sink into a chair.
I am still in shock. Hannah actually has some small bruises on the side of her forehead now. I think this whole thing was way more terrifying because I could not get up there, had to watch and struggle for calm when I just wanted to scream and STOP THE MADNESS. I was powerless. And my kid was scared and hurting. And I have an imagination that sometimes becomes my biggest enemy!
The other mom cried. She apologized. She, like me, could not eat her food. She was in shock, did not know her kid could do something like that. But get this: her kid got a mild "talking to." This mom DID NOT remove her child from the situation. In fact, her kid sat in close proximity to mine while we all tried to eat and I acted like I was okay with it. WHAT IS HAPPENING TO PARENTING NOWADAYS?
To give this kid credit, she really is - usually - such a sweet little girl. She's so petite and cute and quiet. But, up there in that bubble, she looked as if she KNEW there was no one there but her and my child, and she took full advantage of that fact. She let a fury loose up there, y'all. Maybe it's true what they say: it's the quiet ones ya have to worry about.
I don't know how I'll look at this other little girl anymore. I gave the mom a hug and told her not to worry about it - it was done. But is it? I know I don't ever want to risk that happening again, so I don't think we'll be going back to that play structure with the other little girl there. I know kids sometimes snap and have their moments, so maybe I should just wash this under the bridge, but I just hope I can. And then I hope this little girl NEVER, EVER touches my kid again.
To make up for it, the OTHER little girl who was there (and who is now Hannah's best friend), her mom, Hannah and I all went to see a movie at the movie theater yesterday afternoon. YAY for the movies and popcorn and candy! :) It makes everything all better!
Except, Hannah whimpered a lot in her sleep last night and I couldn't help wondering if she was feeling the brutal hand of that other little girl all over again.
And that sucks, cuz once again, I was in a position where I could not help her.
We'll be alright. We just have to teach her how to defend herself, my husband says. Maybe we'll get her into a karate class soon :)
2 comments:
O.M.G! POOR HAAAAANNAH! POOR MAAAAMA! I can't believe that happened! I can only imagine how scared you must have been. Don't feel bad about crying, that's a LOT of emotion and it has to come out SOMEWHERE! It's either that or beatin the CRAP outta that kid! If MY kid had beatin another one like that, well she would have gotten more than a "talkin to" I can tell you that! I hope you both are able to get past this trama so you can enjoy the class and the after class activities, it would be sad if you had to miss out because of that little bad-ass. I would hope her mother would have the decency to back out before you have to! Let us know how it goes after the next class, I'll be waiting to see how you guys do!
OMG! Poor little Hannah. And poor you, that must have been so awful to watch and not able to do anything. I hope that she feels better soon. And I don't blame you for not going to the lunch with that girl anymore, esp with how the mom 'disciplined' her. Michael is great with other kids but if he pulled something like that he would have been removed from the fun and got a whoopin! ((hugs)) I hope she recovers & you all sleep better.
Post a Comment