Heartbreak Playground

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

At the playground – you know?
That’s where he saw this cutie … (music group ABC/ BBD)

Well, she was alright looking at most, but my 4-year-old was enamored with this little brown-skinned girl – easily a couple years older than him – wearing red rimmed glasses and two bobbled pony tails swinging down her back.

My son ‘flirts’ with little girls on occasion, but not often. He’s sorta bashful – but not really shy. He gathered the nerve to approach this girl, but then stood next to her awkwardly.

He muttered something about playing and she lashed out abruptly – GET AWAY FROM ME!

He and I were both taken aback and the tears started to flow. He turned to me –mouth agape, eyes welling, questioning. I was audibly speechless (in my head, I was having a very vocal, lewd conversation with that chick)!

Then, my child erupted into a loud cry as she vanished to the swing set. Both my husband and I reacted – differently …

ME
Sometimes little girls can be mean. That doesn’t make you any less of a person.

DAD
Stop that crying (yes, one of the cardinal sins of communicating with your child).  You’re going to get dissed by girls a lot in life so get used to it.

ME
I know that was rude and she hurt your feelings, but “you is special, you is kind, and you is important.” It will be okay.

DAD
She didn’t want to play with you– so what? There will be lots of others who will.

ME
Now you see what it’s like when someone is mean to you. So, this teaches you not to be mean to others.

DAD
Don’t be no punk. Even when you get dissed never let them see you cry.

So, now I’ll know where to trace it back to if my child becomes a woman mongering garden tool who is afraid of commitment. It all started at the playground – you know?