As I neared the end of my pregnancy with Gavin, I wanted to ensure that Cameron would still be getting entertainment and stimulation and special Cameron-only activities. I signed him up for a few programs that were to start a few weeks before my due date. Specifically, I had him enrolled in a program at our local library and a program at a local community centre. It was the latter that I was particularly excited about. The community centre has a program where toddlers can bounce to their heart’s content on inflatable bouncy castles. He used to do this with daycare every once in a while, and they were always his favourite days.

Unfortunately, because I went overdue, most of these scheduled activity days were pre-empted by my medical appointments. The one time we did make the bouncy class while I was still pregnant, everything went really great. Cameron had a blast. He played around, had a bunch of fun, and expended a lot of energy. It was a huge success.

The next time Cameron went, Gavin had finally been born. We had been home a few days and I encouraged Dan to take Cameron out for some bouncy fun. While I stayed home with the newborn, Dan packed up the toddler and they both left excitedly.

They came back in a much different mood.

My Cameron is a happy, sociable little guy. He enjoys playing around and with other children. He is even pretty good at sharing, often without being prompted. He is just a pleasant, playful, friendly little boy.

As Cameron went to his Tumble Weeds class that day, he was the same little boy he always has been. He enthusiastically took off his sneakers, climbed into an inflatable, and started jumping. He smiled at the other children and bounced near them, looking for any indication that they were interested in bouncing with him.

In an inflatable filled with three other boys, Cameron’s friendliness was not reciprocated. It wasn’t met with a playful giggle. It wasn’t met with shyness. It wasn’t even met with indifference.

No, as soon as Cameron started bouncing with these three other boys, Cameron found himself bouncing alone. The oldest boy took one look at Cameron and went to the corner of the bouncy castle, sat down, folded his arms and stared my boy down. Following his lead, the two other boys joined him. All sitting. All glaring. Wordlessly telling my boy that he was not welcome.

Bullies.

Cameron jumped for a few more minutes, every once in a while trying to encourage the other boys to join him, but soon gave up. Silently, he left the bouncy castle. As soon as he left, the other boys started jumping again.

Kids are perceptive. Although Cameron never expressed his hurt to us, it was clear that he felt it. Instead of choosing to leave the bouncy castle on the super-fun slide, Cameron went to the side exit hatch and eased his way out. Instead of returning to the castle where he was bullied, Cameron spent the rest of the class in the smaller and yet more difficult inflatable. Everything about him had been deflated.

All because a four year old decided to introduce my son to bullying.

Dan, who had seen everything unfold, was livid. He was angry and hurt for our son. He watched the scene play out and was incapable of stepping in. The other “supervising” parents were off in a corner, chatting. No nasty words were said by the toddlers. No violent actions thrown. Dan couldn’t tattle. All he could do was stand outside the inflatable, watching while his heart broke, waiting with open arms until our son decided he had been diminished enough. Dan could offer nothing but an escape.

As Dan quietly relayed the story to me so as not to draw Cameron’s attention to it, I felt such an intense ache for my little boy. How could anyone want to make such a perfect little person feel the way they made my Cameron feel? How could bullying be such a natural thing that it happens in a toddler’s play class? How can anyone receive friendliness and reciprocate hate, let alone a four-year-old?

No one should ever be allowed to make my children feel the way those boys made Cameron feel. I refuse to give my permission for that!

That was the day that Cameron grew up just a little bit more. It was the day that he grew a little further away. Because, that day I lost control over how the world treats him. It doesn’t matter whether I give my permission or not. Even in the tiny little world of bouncy castles and knee-high munchkins, I couldn’t make the world perfect for him.

And that breaks my heart. Because he? Is perfect.

But if Dan or I ever find out that he is bullying? If ever he treats another mother’s child the way my child was treated? He is going to get one giant whooping, I promise you that!

Have you ever seen bullying unfold while watching your children play? Was your child bullied or the bully? What did you do?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MommysMiracle/~3/ih4YkOl0qLw/deflated.html