And so it starts…
We were at Chick Fil-A (the best place in the whole wide world, regardless of their religious zest) the other day and went into the play area and there were three boys chasing each other around the gym. Declan was ahead of them on the slide… And they started yelling “Get there before him! Get there before him!” And then when they were all at the bottom of the slide, one kid made this shitty face at Declan and said, “I don’t like him – he is yucky.”
You should have seen the crushed look on Declan’s face.
I said, “that isn’t a very nice thing to say.” And Declan came over and crawled in my lap. Poor little sensitive kid.
The boy’s mom wasn’t paying attention and didn’t hear it. Then another little girl came in and that same boy says, “I like HER – SHE seems nice!” – and looks pointedly at me. I just wanted to smack the smirk off his face. And then his mom says, “Awwww… You are always so nice to all the kids, Justin!” Whatever.
Declan was still in my lap with a very sad face and said, “Why did he call me yucky, Mommy?” So I whispered in his ear, “I don’t know! But we know he’s wrong, right? Are you yucky? (tickling and teasing)… There is no way you are yucky!” And he started giggling and ran off and played… keeping a wary eye on those boys.
But it was such a foreshadowing of how shitty kids are, it broke my heart.
Of course, which is worse? – when your kid is the shitter and the shittee? I am sure I’ll be in both places in the coming years.