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How do you deal with playground bullies?

6 replies

Schulte · 14/04/2011 12:54

Just came home from the playground crying. And that's me crying, not the dds. We were there minding our own business, dds (2 and 4yo) happily climbing on frames and playing on the swings, when a bunch of six or seven girls between about 8 and 11yo descended on the playground. Whereever one of my girls went to play, they came running over and were all over the same climbing frame in a flash, pushing my dds out of the way and even (I wasn't watching but was told by another mum) kicking dd1 in the head. They were making rude remarks and just generally being unpleasant. I tried to reason with them and ask them to be careful around the little ones or go play somewhere else, but they just kept at it and even I felt threatened by their aggressiveness.

Two of their mums were there but were sat in the corner looking chavy and smoking cigarettes. Clearly there was no point in trying to get them to intervene.

We left in the end but I thought I probably should have left much much sooner.

Can anyone advise? This has never happened to me before.

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BoffinMum · 14/04/2011 13:51

This is a difficult situation. They are horrid children, and horrid children are difficult to deal with because they don't obey the normal rules. So you have three choices, as I see it. Either shrug it off, or put on a teacher voice and tell them what they are supposed to be doing (and follow through by insisting turns are taken, little ones' rights are observed and so on), or speak to their mums and say your kid was physically damaged and that has to stop, could they have a word please. Most mothers respond favourably to that, you will be pleased to know, as nobody likes their kid getting hurt.

I tend to do the teacher voice thing because (unsurprisingly) I was a teacher for a long time, and it generally works for me. But sometimes I have ended up upset as well - you can only do your best.

ConnorTraceptive · 14/04/2011 13:57

Your mistake was to try reasoning with them! I tend to go straight in with the teacher voice as I would do with my own children.

bebemooneedsabreak · 14/04/2011 15:44

:( You know, I've encountered similar things here, though not with the kicking!! I never know what to do (and I don't speak the language so I'm really at a loss.) I'd say if God Forbid it happens again use a sterner voice, and if it does not stop then leave promptly making comment to your girls how bad some kids are...
:( so sorry your time out was ruined :(

Tgger · 14/04/2011 20:00

Hello!
Yes, I would either have left sooner, or would have put on the teacher voice! Also am a teacher so it is a bit easier!

Could your girls have played on one and the older ones on another? I would have told the older ones to do this if this was an option and if they didn't I would have marched over to their Mums to suggest it (that's if I hadn't left already!!).

Also is the playground for kids all ages? Some have signs up saying for 8s and unders- that would have been useful ammunition!!! Some are for up to 14 though...

Schulte · 14/04/2011 20:03

Thanks ladies. DH thinks I should have walked away immediately, but we had only just arrived! I am now feeling bad though, because DD1 will start school in September and it's likely those girls will be in the same school. I have horrible visions of them spotting her in the school playground and giving her a kicking behind the shed because they remember having a run-in with DD1's mummy Sad

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Schulte · 14/04/2011 20:06

Not sure what the age limit is for that playground but I am sure they wouldn't have given a shit anyway.

I really do wonder how anyone can survive being a teacher. They were like a horde of aggressive monkeys.

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