A bad boy, a mean mom, and a huff

Today we took the girls to the park for a little picnic. They love to do that and we thought it would be loads of fun. So we packed everything up and went. Of course there is a play structure there and the girls wanted to play a little more than they wanted to eat. They were going back and forth between the blanket and the play area.

At one point, Sarah came over and said there was a boy who was throwing sand at them. Then Kate came over and said she would throw sand at him. We told them not to throw sand back, but to put their hand up and say in a loud voice, "STOP! I DON'T LIKE THAT!" It is surprisingly effective on even the bulliest of bullies. They didn't do that for some reason and Kate ran over to get a stick off the ground that she said she was going to hit the boy with. I told her no way, so she picked some grass and went to throw it at him. We couldn't exactly see what was going on, but I guess this boy kept on doing it. Suddenly, we see this mean mom march over and say to Sarah, "If you push him again...Did you just say you were going to punch him the hardest ever? Who is your mommy?"
Amy got up and walked over there and started talking to the lady. She said that the boy was throwing sand in their eyes. The lady said "She told him that she was going to punch him the hardest ever and I am going to make sure that doesn't happen!" Then she stormed off, with him, and gathered up her things. There was another lady with her with I think 2 kids, and she got her stuff and they all left!

What is up with that? Amy and I were totally laughing about it. We had a good talk with Sarah letting her know that she is not to hit, and needs to use her words, and our words just went in one ear and out the other, it seems. But when they were playing, we were totally laughing about it. I have never seen someone leave a park because of a playground tussle. I am not absolving my child of any wrong-doing, but I wouldn't expect to leave, or expect someone else to leave over it. Sheesh!

I told Rebekah and Jethro that story earlier today and Rebekah said the lady was probably thinking that her child would never throw sand at someone else. That is so classic. I have been in situations helping out at the girl's schools and just being at parks and witnessing these little holy terrors whose parents are completely oblivious, because they are too busy gossiping with their friend or talking on their phone. I have seen their children do things, then the parents say to someone else, or to my face, "My child would never do that." I don't make a practice of confronting parents, it is so not worth it. I just have to laugh at them. I mean, kids will be kids, they have to work stuff out. They are going to get hurt, they are going to get bullied, they are going to live.

Imagine, if you could, a Granite Bay mom, and that would accurately describe this woman. As Hunzy would say, "a witch with a capital B."