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No Better for The Rabbit Either

Sorry for the absence. I wish it was for a yummy holiday, but truth is it's been a rough patch with the Rabbit. Boy do I know where you are coming from YLM.

Like Firstborn, all the Rabbit has been telling us about school is that she eats lunch. Nothing else. And her teachers are barely forthcoming with any details. One is out right rude to me. To my face. Not quite nasty, but it's on the fence.

Tonight, too, it came out. Not that The Prince and I haven't seen it coming. Especially me. On the playground after school there are a few girls who won't play with The Rabbit. One girl in particular is a choice bully who often tells The Rabbit she can't play. Another treats her like a baby and I suspect it's rubbing off on the other kids. I've literally heard her say it to the other kids: "[The Rabbit] is a baby. She's not even four yet."

The Rabbit is the youngest in her class -- and at times does act young. Not babyish, but young. But tonight she let it spill that no one at recess will play with her and so "No one plays with me Mama. I go up to some people today and I look at them and they turn their head like this. And then I try and look at them and they turn my head like that. Sometimes mama I sit on the ground and think about it and just wait for it to be time to go back to the classroom." That is the sound of my heart breaking and my fists wanting to furl at these little Sh*ts of a kid that are treating her like this.

Forget a note in the backpack. Mama is walking The Rabbit to school tomorrow. And the teacher is going to talk with Mama. I know I can't make these tiny bullies play with my child -- and get real, why would I?!?!?! But I can make a decision finally that she doesn't need to be in a place where she's treated as an outsider.

I wish I could teach her 3-year-old mind how small these people really are. What I really wish is she didn't care. Nor me.

Comments

mad muthas said…
at my kids' school they had a little pretend bus stop in the playground, called the friendship stop (yuk) and if anyone didn't have someone to play with they would stand there. the teachers and playground monitors would make a big fuss of anyone who went along to the stop and offered to play with whoever was there, so it came over as being a good thing. maybe something like that would work. also a couple of kids from the oldest class (10-11 year olds) would be on infant playground duty each day, and they used to look out for kids on their own and play with them. since the big kids were considered cooooool, it could bring about a rapprochement between the little ones.
don't be fobbed off. even little kids can be manipulative and cruel to their peers so it's NOT just 'the way children are' or 'harmless'. the rabbit sounds gorgeous - we love her already! (and two big twins - a girl and a boy - from england send their love)
kick arse!
5:21 pm
Kate B. said…
I think the best thing, MM, is to keep doing what you're doing. One day, Rabbit will figure it all out for herself and then she'll realise that the kids who rule at school rarely replicate that power in the real world. If I remember correctly, my school bully has nothing to boast about except numerous children by different (absent) fathers and a glorious career behind the till in the local Woolworth's.
5:19 pm
Anonymous said…
I feel for you. My four year old has been telling me how she asks people to play and they either say no or just stare at her. It is breaking my heart.
1:48 am
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