Momma Bear Unleashed

Jenna feeding the duckies





Jillian loves to feed the ducks at the park!




Jillian modeling her new fall clothes, including boots!




We are still learning how to take turns :)




Jillian gives a big smile




Jenna smiles, too. These girls have cheesing down!




Peek-A-Boo Jenna!




Sweet Jillian





My husband, Jared, has a funny nickname for me: The Baby Whisperer. He calls me that for a number of reasons, but mostly because he thinks babies like me and I can *usually* get them to stop crying if they are upset. In the general sense, I would mostly agree. I love children, but young children especially bring me much joy and delight. I can relate to them, I have fun with them, they are honest, open, and in general I find communicating with them easy. In fact, sometimes I have an easier time communicating with a child vs. a grown adult. :) I don't think my "Baby Whispering" talents, so to speak, are noteworthy or impressive. I think it is just kids can feel that I am at ease with them and that I don't get easily stressed by their actions (unless they are the actions of my own children, of course!...Ha!).

This is why I was so surprised by the Momma Bear Instinct (you know what I mean... protective towards her cubs; prone to aggression when she feels her cubs are being threatened) I exhibited towards another child at our local story time at the library this past Saturday.  I shocked myself!! I have never before felt that fierce, protective, instinct on such a powerful level directed at such a young person. Sure, I've felt protective feelings before, but the emotions I felt behind this particular instance were much different. Allow me to explain:



Our library has several different types of story times available to the public. We usually try and go to the time geared towards toddlers (up to 36 months); however, for the past few months I've been participating in a Bible study during the times we would normally go. The girls love the story time (and know some of the moves to the songs!) and so I decided that we would go to the general story time this Saturday, for kiddos ages 1-5.

The story time was wonderful, as I expected. Afterwards, the libraries allow time for the kiddos to play together. The library we went to on Saturday has a super-fun play area with a fort-like hut, big, giant, stuffed animals to play with and sit on, chairs and tables to color or read books, etc. I hadn't been to this library in several years so I wasn't aware of how AWESOME their kids area was (or we would have been going a lot more often!!). The area is off limits to kids 10 and over; however, the area really should be off limits to 6 and above because the theme is much more suited for toddler and preschool aged children.



So, Jenna and Jillian are playing in the area. They are a little timid so I walk them over to the fort where the fun is happening. They are shy so I hang out at one of the tables just a few feet away. Offering encouragement to join in the fun but trying not to hover.  Jillian decides she doesn't much like the fort now that she has seen it up close and she comes over to my table and is content to color. Jenna is still deciding what she wants to do but stays near the fort. The kids are starting to thin out as more parents are taking their kids home. So I am sitting, watching both girls and during one of the times that I am helping Jilly with a new color or commenting on what she is creating, Jenna starts to cry. I look over and she is on the floor in tears. No big deal, Jenna is a tad on the klutzy side and she falls down a lot. I assume it was her mistake, so I go over and encourage her to get back up and continue playing. She does and I go sit down again. I am watching more closely though and within a few seconds of her calming down and going back in the fort I see this big boy (I am absolutely sure his name is Bully Bob and he was probably 5 or 6) push Jenna! It wasn't a little push either, it was a big ol' shove!! She falls forward onto the ground and immediately starts to cry...again!



I can tell you right now that the desire to pop that kid upside the head was strong!  Did you just push MY child? I don't think so, sir! Hands off you little varmint! I got up quickly, going to Jenna and in doing so I am talking very firmly to the boy. "No, no. We don't push." "We keep our hands to our self..." that sort of thing, basically trying to exhibit an enormous amount of control over my tongue as my mind was waging war. Anyways, since I am talking to Bully Bob in a firm manner (not loud, just assertive) his Mom comes over and asks "did he just push her?" Uh, yup lady...he sure did! After Bully Bob apologizes, his Mom takes him out and they leave.  One of the Dads sitting near me tells me about how Bully Bob had already pushed Jenna once (the first time she fell) and had pushed his kid as well. He was complaining that the boy's parent should have removed him several minutes ago. I agreed and wanted to ask why he didn't confront the boy or his mother when his own kid was pushed but I thought better of it.

I think I was most taken aback by my own reactions because in my mind, for that instant, Bully Bob was no longer a little kid.  He was an enemy; someone I needed to protect my child from. And while I am on one hand, pleasantly surprised by protective instincts (as a first time parent you always wonder how you will react if____ ), I am also a little bit apprehensive about what that means down the road. Jenna isn't even 2...she hasn't attended school/daycare yet....and the only bullying she has endured thus far is from her two-minute-older sister. If this is how I feel now...how am I going to feel when in elementary school she gets teased, or her best friend spreads a rumor in middle school, or her boyfriend dumps her when she is 16 (all of these are hypothetical that, by the way, I hope NEVER happen....but I'm not naive either)? All of the sudden the road ahead looks long and very much like a battlefield. I guess only time (and experiences) will tell how I handle future situations. But in all fairness I am warning you now: Bully Bob....don't you ever touch my kid again!

:)



PS: thanks for the welcome back sentiments everyone. It feels nice to be well received. :)