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I only reprimand kids when their parents aren't around. I've done it a couple of times, and they always behave afterward.
I feel terrible doing it, but the parents can't see everything their kids do, I guess.
It takes a village??
Nope, that's evil. Words like that stay in a kid's head forever.
Perhaps I have it wrong, in which case I apologise, but I thought that the words staying in the kid's head(s), forever was the idea.
They may not like the idea of being thought of as chubby, so the next time they think of pointing, or making rude comments at someone, (adult or child), they'd keep their mouth shut, rather than risk hearing, "Hey fatty, that's not cool."
Last week I was in a water park, and was sitting at a table eating my lunch when this lady barged up to two kids (10-11 I'd guess) and got in their faces. She was LIVID. "Where's your mom? Never mind it doesn't matter..."
She continues screaming in their faces (inches) that they might think they are beautiful but they are ugly inside and that they should go home and think about what horrible people they are due to some altercation that happened in the wave pool. She yelled for a good 2 minutes, I was watching just to make sure she didn't touch them in any way. I was just about to get up and say something to break it up but then she walked off. So instead I told the kids to steer clear of her and if she bothered them again to visit with a lifeguard.
The kids wanted to tell me what happened in the wave pool - I didn't even engage that. I have no doubts they were rude or splashed someone or whatever. That lady was off the cuff in the wrong. If I had the presence of mind to watch where she went to sit down I would have talked to the management about her, but rather I was watching the kids to ensure they were okay.
Please, if you engage other peoples kids, make sure to be respectful and don't be like this lady. She probably felt she was so in the right for guiding these kids in the absence of their adults. She even said "I'm a teacher and a parent and none of the kids I am responsible for would ever get away with behaviour like that". I was trying to picture her saying those words to a kid in her classroom and then retaining her job, which I think would be at serious risk.
So while I wouldn't hesitate to say something to kids who are being dangerous or mean to themselves or others, please really think about the manner in which you do it.
As a teacher I tell students in your situation to first ask the other students to stop. I see no reason why as an adult you shouldn't have done the same.
Adults should point out and correct unruly behavior of children.
Last week I was in a water park, and was sitting at a table eating my lunch when this lady barged up to two kids (10-11 I'd guess) and got in their faces. She was LIVID. "Where's your mom? Never mind it doesn't matter..."
She continues screaming in their faces (inches) that they might think they are beautiful but they are ugly inside and that they should go home and think about what horrible people they are due to some altercation that happened in the wave pool. She yelled for a good 2 minutes, I was watching just to make sure she didn't touch them in any way. I was just about to get up and say something to break it up but then she walked off. So instead I told the kids to steer clear of her and if she bothered them again to visit with a lifeguard.
The kids wanted to tell me what happened in the wave pool - I didn't even engage that. I have no doubts they were rude or splashed someone or whatever. That lady was off the cuff in the wrong. If I had the presence of mind to watch where she went to sit down I would have talked to the management about her, but rather I was watching the kids to ensure they were okay.
Please, if you engage other peoples kids, make sure to be respectful and don't be like this lady. She probably felt she was so in the right for guiding these kids in the absence of their adults. She even said "I'm a teacher and a parent and none of the kids I am responsible for would ever get away with behaviour like that". I was trying to picture her saying those words to a kid in her classroom and then retaining her job, which I think would be at serious risk.
So while I wouldn't hesitate to say something to kids who are being dangerous or mean to themselves or others, please really think about the manner in which you do it.
I agree. There is an appropriate way to talk to others. Nobody should b called ugly.
Just the other day I saw a boy, maybe about 9 or 10 years old, in 7-11. He wasn't wearing any footwear. I simply told him that he should have shoes on in the store and that believed it was actually a law. He just shrugged me off, but maybe he'll keep that in mind the next time he goes to a store.
That may be fine in "upper Michigan". In some areas I wold be cautious.
It doesn't matter where you live (by the way, I haven't always lived here and neither have my kids). You can stand up for yourself or tell kids they're being rude without being rude yourself (like not mocking a person's place of residence).
I don't like the direction our society is going where one is afraid to engage with other members of society. Maybe if these kids were aware that other people exist and have feeling they wouldn't be misbehaving. But instead mom hides them away and treats strangers as dangerous and worthy of mockery.
If you're not part of the solution, you are then, part of the problem.
Hats off to you for standing up for yourself, and for others, as what you did MIGHT sway them from repeating that behavior in the future... Operative word: MIGHT.
You witnessed unacceptable behavior and tried to correct it. Well done. The 'mother' - (I use that term with some humor added) is apparently not capable of raising her daughters to acceptable levels. They will, no doubt, be the subject of many a conversation as years go on, as they will turn out just like dear old mom... God help us...
You're the product of your environment, so they'll mimic mom up to and until someone else puts them in their place and they then decide to correct their own behavior.
What you did was very justified. Thank you for trying to give guidance to those lovely little girls - mom's not doing a very good job...
I used to avoid bad behavior, but sometimes you just can't. If something is unsafe or someone is being picked on, I speak up and stand there until the behavior stops. If I simply don't like what the kid is doing because it's rude, destructive or whatever, sometimes I'll just say "Don't do that" and say why. I've accidentally gotten onto children that weren't mine. I apologized to the parent and said "Oops! sorry! I thought that was my child". The parents usually laugh and say their child shouldn't have been doing that anyway.
Who cares? If somebody is being rude to me, I'm going to do my darnest to put an end to it. Nobody should have to stand there and accept that type of behavior from anybody, child or adult.
I agree you don't have to accept it. But if I, as the parent, are standing right next to my children when they were making rude comments, I would expect the offended person address any issues they had with my children's behavior directly with me.
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In some areas I wold be cautious.
