Over the last few weeks I've had a situation come up and I'm stuggling with how to handle it. Jocelyn is in a couple activities that involve her with kids that are what I consider too aggressive. If you can call toddlers bullies, well then, I call them bullies. There have been a couple incidents where Jocelyn has been pushed by a kid that decided she was too slow and he didn't want to wait, and another child had no problem grabbing toys right out of Jocelyn's hand when this child didn't want Jocelyn to have them. I find myself biting my tongue to keep myself from screaming at the mothers "PLEASE control your child!!"
Jocelyn is often a timid, and shy child when it comes to dealing with other kids. Her only reaction to these incidents was surprise and sadly, fear. She won't stand up for herself, but I have and I will. I've told children not to do things, and I've taken toys back. I'm really not worried about the opinions of the parents I don't know, but what do I do with the one mother I see on a regular basis? Avoiding her means missing out on activities I would like Jocelyn to be able to participate in.
I don't know if Jocelyn will ever become the kind of kid that will stick up for herself. In some ways, that comes with it's own issues. But I'm afraid she will get bullied and possibly hurt one day by these kids.
A Day with the Seewalds
1 day ago
I've found that initially, addressing the toddler directly helps; not yelling at another person's child exactly, but toddlers still active pretty impulsively. They can be receptive to you taking a toy back and explaining that so-and-so was playing with that (or taking a turn) and maybe finding them something else to play with. They're old enough at this age to understand what you're saying, and it avoids that confrontation with the parent.
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