aggressive toddler boys - too much too soon?

[mamatilly]

My DS is 2.5 and quite a sweetie, very eloquent but physically on small side...

Playing at a group today (with mums present) two other boys very rough, mean, even violent to him, just at another level really... using horrid language and playing mean and rough...

I kept stepping in and extracting DS and am thinking not to go back to that group as it doesnt feel other mums are setting similar boundaries etc..

Is this all inevitable boy behaviour? should i teach my beautiful gentle boy to hit back and play even rougher? HELP..

It somehow seems too soon to be teaching him to hit back, but i don't want him to be a target... If he stays small then karate is definitely on the cards in afew years, but what to do now????

thankyou

I wouldn't send him again. Find another group. They aren't all like that.

I think you did the right thing.
My ds1 is a simialr age and the opposite to yours from the sounds of it. He's big for his age, very boisterous and lively and loud but never hits or is violent! I'd tell him off if he was!
Even the most energetic lively boy should not be allowed to be violent, its not on.

Fin a differnet group of toddlers for your DS to play with. Not all boys are like this and it is certainly not inevitable.

Chances are those boys have older brothers, I bet.

My ds is not like this. He's 5 now, is as rough and tumble as the rest of them and runs around playing 'killing' games, but if he spots a baby he's the gentlest soul ever, strocking and hugging them.

agree with 2.4, Ds is the opposite to your DS, he does like a tumble and gets very excited, but he's never violent - i'd be quite embarrassed/ashamed tbh if he was, and he'd be the one getting removed from the situation.

try a different group, and get both of your confidence back. I tend to find when DS was younger and was picked on a bit, I did as you did, but DS's little face would always look like he didn't know what was happening as he would just want to play.

Do not put yourself through it he is only little tho and probs forgotten already (unlike us mums hey!!)