How would YOU react?


With all the media attention lately on the Mum (Mellissa Anderson) who was arrested after slapping her daughters bullies, I have been thinking about it a lot, and how I would react were it one of my children who were on the receiving end of first the bullying and then the slapping.

I am a very over-protective Mum, which in some circumstances can be a good thing, and other times not so good.  But the fierce protective nature overcomes me when it comes to things being unfairly done to my kids.  I can honestly say, were I in the same situation as Mellissa, I too would have had a fair whack at those bullies. 

Now I’ve mulled this whole topic over a fair bit with friends/family members, and of course there have been the (very few) who come out with the “well, we should be adult enough to work through the situation in an adult manner, and without resorting to violence”  Um. While that might be nice in theory, please show me some caring parent who would be able to sit on their hands after seeing their childs face bruised, bloodied and battered??!!  Seriously, I would LOVE to be able to say… “Oh yes, come on now..that was uncalled for”… but in actual fact, I KNOW my reaction would be to want to throttle the little beggas who laid their hands on my kids! All reason and niceties would go out the window!  Another friend said, “Oh I would understand it if a parent reacted to some REAL bullying, but not that”… Not that??? NOT THAT?  Please tell me what is REAL bullying?  This kids face was bruised, swollen, bleeding and violated! What part of that is not REAL bullying.  Since that comment, my “friend” has realized what she said was just ridiculous and has retracted it super fast.  (of course my reactional outburst at it probably gave her a push in that direction) haha.

So… that’s how I would react were it to happen to one of my kids.  What then, would I do, if it were one of my children who had beaten up another child, and in return their parent had had a crack at my kids?  To be very honest with you……. I would probably want to give them a good slapping myself! 

I certainly would make them accountable for their actions and make them face the repercussions of what they’d done.  I would do my best to make them see how awful it had been for that person they’d picked on, and how it has affected them…….hoping that that in itself would make them remorseful. 

Anyway it really annoyed me that this Mum had to be arrested.  The police were right there when she slapped the girl, she wasn’t in any danger with them right there.. but the mother just wanted to get her point across!  

So…I’m really interested now… how would YOU react?  I’m sure there are many of you out there who are way more “controlled” than I ever would be …. I’d love to hear it!!  J

Comments

  1. I wouldn't be slapping anyone elses kid. I can bearly tell another kid off without feeling terrible.
    I would hope that sending my kids to a good school would help me avoid this hypothetical situation happening. And teaching my kids to stand up for them selves or seek help if it is happening to them.

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  2. Um no - I would so have slapped that kid, and everyone I have spoken to has said the same thing!

    You're far from alone in that :-)!

    But if my kid had been the bully... heaven help her (and probably me by the time I had finished with her *grin*)!

    Actually - I hope my child doesn't resort to bullying/violence, so IF she did, I would hopefully realise something was wrong and try to find out what brought this on, before goimg totally mad at her ;-)! But there'd still be consequences for her actions...

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  3. I don't have any kids yet, but I reckon Im with you - its nice to think you'd be all adult and controlled about it, and violence is not the answer to violence. But when it came down to it.... ;-)

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  4. We've been talking about this too - I can see why we need to stick to the law as otherwise you'd probably get parents losing it and killing kids with a punch etc, but also looking back at the days were our neighbours felt free to give us a smack if we were being naughty, I do feel we have gone a bit too pc as well. Tough situation indeed!

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  5. Well... I usually feel a bit embarrassed telling off other peoples kids too...but when I looked "deep down" and I saw that pic of that girl who was punched/bruised and swollen, I just KNEW that I would probably wanna slap the bully also... not nice of me... but I do think that's what I would want to do..I would be so upset. Those girls were a few years older too, so that makes it even worse. I hope you all don't think any less of me for that ;) heehee.

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  6. It would be very difficult to be controlled ....hmmm I know what I would want to do but whether it is the right thing to do or not is the question... Interesting conversations to be had though on both sides.

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