The Boy Child, at school yesterday, was bitten by one of his classmates while playing at being animals. The teacher described it as coming to her attention thanks to a blood-curdling scream. She explained that no skin was broken and no bleeding took place and the Boy Child was given ice for his arm. I really wasn't fussed, I must confess and I told the teacher, "no blood, no foul".

So, we all stood there, his teachers, me, and the Boy Child and I looked down at his beautiful face and I asked him, gently, what happened.

He told me: "people bite me up i my crass".

Someone bit you in your class?

"Ja".

And what happened next?

"Teacher hente meg ice" (my teacher got me ice).

Well, next time someone bites you, you bite them back, ok?

Ok.

His teachers laughed. They thought I was kidding.

The Girl Child didn't think I was kidding. The first thing she asked her brother when she heard about it was, "did you bite them back?" And then she told him, next time someone hurts you, you hit them back. Or pull their hair.

She understands. I've explained the hitting rules to her before. She is allowed to hit only if someone hits her or if someone hits her brother.

You have to stand up for yourself and for yours in this world. No one else will do it for you.

Posted by: Random Penseur at 02:04 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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1 Agreement. Total. It beats me how the new philosophy is our kids are not to allow themselves to be victims but yet they shouldn't fight back. There's something missing in that equation.

Posted by: Roberta S at November 23, 2005 03:29 PM (kKo+q)

2 That was always the rule in our house,too. You may not hit first, but if somebody hits, bites, pulls your hair, whatever, then go for it kid! Must be the Barrister's School of Hard Knocks

Posted by: Jocelyn at November 23, 2005 03:34 PM (jkRb/)

3 I LOVE YOU FOR THIS, RP! YAYYYYY! The schools won't be happy about it but too bad. You're right. It's the truth. This whole PC BS these last few years about kids learning they cannot defend themselves at school has been driving me up the wall.

Posted by: Amber at November 23, 2005 06:31 PM (zQE5D)

4 Don't be too surprised if you find out one day that his school is one of them whacky ones that actually blame a fight on the kid that threw the second punch because of that "it takes two to tango and the Boy Child should have let the aggression go rather than escalate the violence by continuing it" short-sighted bend-over-and-take-it nonsense.

Posted by: Tuning Spork at November 23, 2005 11:44 PM (ZqFjh)

5 I am in compleete and total agreement with you, m'dear. (No big shock, there, though, huh?) I just stopped in to wish you and your lovely family a beauteous thanksgiving. xoxo

Posted by: Margi at November 24, 2005 03:33 AM (nwEQH)

6 When I was his age, my father instilled the same lesson in me. He was rather adamant that I understand that I was nevber to start a fight. But if someone picked on me, I should do my best to end it. His advice to me? Kick him in the balls as hard as you can. Drop him, and end it right away. Gave my mother fits, and I never had to actually resort to that. But it instilled in me an important lesson, the same one you have imparted to your son. Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted by: Mark at November 24, 2005 10:52 AM (ICmVA)

7 Happy Thanksgiving, RP! Just remember to tell the Boy Child that he doesn't have to wait for the turkey to bite him first.

Posted by: Tuning Spork at November 24, 2005 01:01 PM (fiAeQ)

8 You go, girl child!

Posted by: Hannah at November 26, 2005 04:48 PM (ImQx2)

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Last night was devoted to walking the streets with the children as we engaged in a mild form of extortion, demanding protection candy as a form of insurance for the next year. Everyone paid; nobody got hurt.

Well, the Girl Child got hurt. She got run down by someone in the pack of children she was trying to keep up with. Her bag got a little scrunched, she claims, and this made her very sad. We were off trick or treating with some friends and their children and the Girl Child was the youngest of the group, not including the Boy Child who, while with the group, was not not of the group. She started by holding my hand and walking with me. By the middle of the excursion, she told me that she did not want to hold my hand anymore and made it clear that she wanted to go with the bigger kids. I allowed her, with some reservations. Then she skinned her knee and her hand when she fell or was pushed. After that, she stuck closer by and held my hand. Also, she was getting tired.

The kids were adorable, though. She was a witch and he was a "blue toot-toot guy", a train engineer in a blue hat. They thanked everyone who gave them candy and said trick or treat after they deposited the candy in their bags and they resisted correction on the timing of the salutation. I didn't try very hard to correct them and really why should I?

They have had a good week. On Sunday, we took them to the Circus when Ringling Bros, etc., came to the arena in Bridgeport. Such excitement, so much cotton candy. Their pleasure in the cotton candy was balanced by my shock at having to pay $9 for the bag of it. I thought that was astonishing. What impressed the Boy Child the most, you may wonder? Was it the elephants, the lions, the acrobats? No, it was a very short skit with two clowns and a giant toothbrush. He is still talking about the "teethbrush" and going to visit it again.

On Saturday, we all trooped off to a military museum in Danbury. They were having an "open turret" day and that meant we could climb on the tanks and look inside and climb into the other vehicles. The kids and I had a marvelous time. My father in law is a military history buff and, while we were clambering on the tanks, he was deep in conversation with a volunteer guide.

All in all, a successful day. Indeed, if not for the nanny situation, it would have been quite a wonderful weekend.

Posted by: Random Penseur at 04:10 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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