I've Got Claws...

After 4 1/2 years as a mother, I finally experienced that, "Protective Mom anger" with another adult. My claws came out, and if I weren't too busy wiping the sweat from my brow and calming a sobbing child, those claws may have made contact with a grumpy old man face!

This evening I took my crew to sign them up for soccer. Angel, Isaac, and Bella are going to try to follow in their daddy's cleats, and join an organized team. The sign-ups were held in an elementary school classroom with a few musical instruments sitting on the floor below the blackboard.

I had seen some children playing nicely with the instruments earlier, so I didn't think twice about it when Angel and Isaac began to gently play with them also. Within minutes, a man swooped in and YELLED at my children.

"Get out of there! You can't be touching those things. This IS NOT OUR CLASSROOM!"

I was appalled by his actions toward my children. If one didn't know better, by his reaction, one would have thought that my children were beating each other over the head with the instruments.

Mortified, all four of my kids gathered by my side. Seconds later, Angel belted out with screams of extreme embarrassment. In public situations, my kids are generally very well-behaved, and have never been treated in this manner by another adult.

The man with whom I was speaking to before this incident took place, tried to assure me that everything was okay. In my mind, it was far from okay. I informed him that there was absolutely no reason for this man to be so rude to my kids. I then turned to the man directly and informed him that there was no reason to be so rude. For Pete's sake...I'm trying to involve my already reluctant child to be involved in recreational sports, and this man goes and behaves this way.

I questioned the personnel that were in the vicinity to be sure that this man was not a coach. I let them know that if he was, I would not be signing the check allowing my kids to join this club.

While he moseyed around pointing out what had happened, I tried to reconcile the situation in my head. It was not the fact that he reprimanded my children, rather, it was the manner in which he reprimanded. A simple, "Hey kids! This isn't our classroom so could you please leave the things alone?" would have been a much more appropriate redirection.

I've had to tell myself all night that it wasn't directly aimed at my kids. Any other kid that would have been playing there would have been subjected to his crass outburst.

If nothing else, I learned that there is an assertive bone in my body!

Look what I am protecting...