I decided today to pick my eldest up from school 20 minutes early so that my 17 month old and 4 year old could play in the playground. Not long after arriving a young boy around 2 years old ran up to my youngest and gave him the biggest cuddle. It was so big that it became a tackle and knocked him over. My 17 month old fell backwards and hit his head on the ground and the young boy landed on top of him. His mother came running over and began to apologise to me profusely. But what she did next is what upset me.
She began to yell at her son. She told him how naughty what he did was and how bad he is and gave him a little smack on his bottom. As I stood there all I could think of was her son and what he was being taught in that very moment.
I explained to the mother that my son was ok and how beautiful and loving her son was. I explained to her that her son was only trying to cuddle and give my 17 month old love and that it was really sweet. She apologised again saying she doesn’t know what’s wrong with him and walked off.
The rest of the time at the playground all I could think about was what this boy had just learnt. He learnt that seeing someone you like and love and giving them affection is naughty, wrong and makes you bad person. He didn’t mean to knock my youngest over and to fall on top of him he was just a little too enthusiastic with his love, and if you ask me there is nothing wrong with that. The world needs a little more enthusiasm when it comes to love.
This sort of thing happens every day. I too am guilty of it at times, like with Julian and his vegemite and cream and how tempted I was to tell him it was wrong and he was silly for wanting it. We have an important job as parents, the most important of all jobs - we are raising our future. It is our children that will take this world in the direction we want it to go and quite frankly I can see where it’s heading if we continue our old ways …..
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