Tripletville Adventures : ARGH! Bullies!!!

So this afternoon I took the boys to go play in some bouncy castles that were at my family's campground to celebrate the last weekend of Summer. The boys were having a ball. It was after about 20 minutes of fun that I started noticing this group of like 10 tweens who were up to no good. They kept jumping the line in front of little kids, or went to the back of the bouncy castle obstacle course and scared little kids as they were coming down the slide. They were hanging off the bouncy castle's plastic designs. They were rough. They laughed at my niece because she told my Samuel that she loved him. They laughed at me when I had to go in to get the boys in the bouncy castle because they wouldn't get out. I told them that they needed to go to the back of the line and let the little people have a turn. I tried to get the glow parties supervisor but since there were so many events planned for today, there was only the super shy employees who didn't have enough back bone to stop them. I was so angry. We kept doing our thing, moved on to another bouncy castle and when I had to go in, yet again, to get Zachary, they were, yet again, laughing at me. I lost it. I said "Ok, I've had enough with your bullying, get out of here, I'm getting your parents!" Yes, I know, I'm old, but the more I talked to the people around me, the more I learned. Apparently, this same group of boys were bullying a kid on the playground yesterday, calling him a Dumbo. Stole a hat from another kid and kicked him in the shin. Poor little dude went home crying and now has a swollen shin. As I was taking my children away from that environment, I could see them talking to themselves and saying "Look at her, she's leaving, she's on the golf cart", I went to see my sleeve tattooed prison guard brother in law to tell him about the bullies. He went over by them and just stood there staring. It was golden. Send a bigger bully to fight the bullies, that's the way to beat them right?

As a high school teacher, I see way too much of that kind of behaviour and we have an amazing woman on my staff who nips it in the bud as soon as she's made aware and things, at our school anyways, are much better than they have been. The only bullying we can't control is the one we don't see and sadly, that's where it happens the most. Online is the worst... people love to hide behind their screens. I also hate the bullies who bully just to look cool. It's just so sad... Also because I'm a teacher, I've learned over the years that there is always a reason behind the bullying. Often, the bullies are bullied at home and feel like they have no power so they take it where they can. It's hard to reason with a bully when all they know is belittling. It really makes you want to get to the root of the matter and try to save the bully because the underlying issues are sometimes as heartbreaking as what they are doing to the poor defenseless souls. As a parent, it makes me scared for my kids. It makes me scared that they will one day cry because of the hurtful words of another child. It makes me scared that they will make someone cry with their hurtful words. It makes me scared that they will grow up in a world still so full of ignorant people raising ignorant, ungrateful and mean children. I really hope that I can raise my boys in a home that is loving enough that they don't have to be scared of being unloved. I really hope I can raise my boys to be kind and accepting. I really hope I raise them well enough to stay away from bullies. I really hope I can raise them well enough to make the right decision when choosing their friends as I know as soon as they hit teenageland, my opinions will no longer matter. I really hope I can raise them well enough to know the difference between being funny and being cruel. I really hope I can raise them well enough to stand up for themselves (or each other) and believe that they are better than the cruel ones. I just hope I can raise them well enough to not be anything like the boys I saw at the park today. I'm not naive. I know that boys will be boys and they will have their moments but I can assure you that if I am ever a witness to that kind of behaviour and unkindess from my own flesh and blood, they will pay dearly with lessons of acceptance and doing all sorts of activities that will straighten them out. I'm not perfect, my husband is not perfect, we will not raise perfect people. I also know that I am not always kind and accepting myself and I'm trying really hard to work on that side of myself. The world is not perfect and I will never claim it to be, but I'll be damned if my sons become bullies or their victims.

END OF RANT

Man, what a good ending to Summer I had this week! (minus the bullying incident...)

Great start to the school year, great meetings, grand ideas that I know my students will roll their eyes at but I know will be awesome anyways, FANTASTIC getaway with two of my besties filled with beach walks, girl talks, beer, wine and food and SO MUCH LAUGHTER, Such an AMAZING family day (aside from the boys refusing to nap due to their crazy excitement over the bouncy castles) filled with laughter, beer, corn boil, water fights, toddler wrestling matches, and so many other fun things. The boys didn't nap so they passed out on the way home. They were all changed thankfully right before we left but they were all still in various states of dress. Jacob went to bed in his diaper only until he cried for a shirt. Zachary is just in a swim top and I'm pretty sure that Sam still has his full body swim suit... oh well, when you transfer sleeping toddlers, you don't want to rock the boat too much! I'm really glad I have another day off tomorrow just to recover from the weekend because my house is a DISASTER, my stomach has no idea what happened to it and my head is most definitely NOT in school mode. HURRAY FOR LABOUR DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's it from me gang, I could tell you a whole lot more about the week/weekend but I also need to recover some lost sleep so I will leave you with my pics and wish you all a good week! And as the ever amazing Ellen would say "Be kind to one another" and I will add "Don't raise your children to be assholes!" LOL... (maybe I still have weekend beer residuals making me so blunt this week!)

Good night!