My kids wouldn't survive long without rules
Categories: Kids 5-7, Siblings
One recent afternoon, not five minutes after the children toddled outside to play, our daughter (the Girl)
stumbled back into the house holding her eye and wailing. "He hit me in the eye!" she sobbed. "With his
plastic bat!" He is her little brother. The lovely and talented wife checked the damage and asked if it
was an accident. "He did it on purpose!" After determining that the injury was superficial, she
called the Boy in to hear his side. "OK, Mom," he said and began trotting back to the house.Meanwhile, she asked the Girl for more information. What happened? How? Why? She replied, "I was playing and I told him to hit me and before--".
"Wait. You told him to hit you?"
"Yeah, but before--"
"On purpose? You told him to hit you on purpose?"
"Yeah, but before I could tell him I was just joking, he hit me."
At precisely this moment the Boy walked in and, being the rambling truth-machine he is, confessed instantly and proudly, "I hit her on purpose, Mom."
She looked at them both for just a moment and then told the Boy to go back outside and play. She told our daughter not to tell people to hit her and then she sent her back outside to play, too, hopefully a little wiser. Good grief. The only people who need rules like that are folks with severe brain damage and children.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Meredith 2-22-2006 @ 11:40AM
Welcome!
Looks like it is time to pad your house....
Reply
Mary 2-22-2006 @ 11:55AM
Kids!
Reminds me of a time I intervened with two kids, one of whom had bopped the other. I'd launched into my little schpiel about using words, not hands, to solve problems. Little Colin, the victim, chimes right in (which, incidentally, I don't allow, but I'm glad it happened this time).
"YEAH!" he says, "You don't hit, no matter what."
I start to tell Colin to let me deal with it, but he's on a roll.
"Even if I hit you, you don't hit."
Umm - Pardon me??
Yup, Colin, secure in the "no hitting" safety clause, had indeed bopped poor Ralphie first.
There's logic for you...
Reply
ann adams 2-22-2006 @ 3:10PM
Hi and welcome. I identify completely. Every time I think I've covered everything, they come up with something new. Inventive little critters, aren't they.
Reply