Kids will be kids, right? One week they’re best friends and the next, mortal enemies. Sometimes they lash out with their words (or unfortunately, their hands). Because kids don’t have the emotional maturity to deal with these fluctuating friendships that adults are meant to possess.
We all want to protect our kids and hope we raise them to make good choices. When our kids get into scrape at school, it’s in our nature to want to fly down there and make everything better. It’s not always our best moments, because even adults let their emotions get the better of them sometimes. This note from another parent directed at a young 7yo boy is case in point.
Note from another parent to a young kid?
We Don’t Always Get Along
Victoria, mum to 7-year-old Ethan found this out the hard way when she was contacted by a staff member of the summer camp he was attending over the holidays.
Her son and another 7-year-old child at the camp had one of these fluctuating friendships. They played together and got along, but also had their moments where they didn’t see eye to eye and were overheard trash talking each other.
“Apparently there is a little boy there that, you know, they do play. But every now and then, they get into some verbal arguments, talk garbage to each other, whatever,” she said. “Again, they’re both seven. Camp counselors have noticed it. They said something to my son, said something to this other kid, also talked to me about it, and also to the other parent. They did not tell me who this other child is for safety, privacy — that’s fine. I don’t care. My kid shouldn’t be mean to anybody, no matter who they are.”
Discipline And Consequences
Both kids were spoken to by the summer camp and the parents were informed. They weren’t told the other kid’s identity for privacy and safety reasons. And really, unless there’s violence and injury involved, we don’t need to know who they are. We just need to deal with our own kids end of the incident, and hope the other parents do the same.
“My kid shouldn’t be mean to anybody, no matter who they are,” Victoria said in her TikTok.
Victoria and Ethan’s dad had a long conversation with Ethan about trying harder to make friends with the other kids at camp, and about how important it is to be nice to others. He promised he would try and get along with his peers.
A New Day a New Start. Right?
Shortly after this incident, Victoria sent her son off to camp with his dad, hopeful their chat had sunk in, and Ethan would make a fresh start with everyone.
“Today, this morning, Dad takes son to camp,” Victoria said. “He is watching our son go into camp. There is a grandmother and her grandson sitting there. Apparently the woman stares at my child and says to her grandson, ‘Is that the little boy?’ The little boy says yes. She says, ‘OK, go give this to him.’ Hands the boy a note. Boy goes and hands the note to my 7-year-old son.”
If this were me, I would think it might have been an apology. Since it seemed like both boys were in the wrong, and writing an apology is absolutely something I would get my kids to do.
Well, not this day. This was a note from another parent to 7-year-old Ethan.
A Nasty Letter to a Boy Still Learning to Read
You read that right. The parents of the other boy wrote a not-so-nice note to a boy who was still learning to read. The note, from another parent to a child, read:
“Ethan, Please, stay away from (name)! Do not talk to him! Do not touch him! Do not even look at him! You guys do not get along! I don’t want to hear another incident that involves you! Keep your hands and mouth to yourself! Thanks!”
Mum Victoria was flabbergasted, wondering what kind of adult sends a note like that to a kid. So, as many mums do, she took to TikTok to share her frustrations.
@wickatoria89 Would you be mad if you’re seven-year-old received a letter like this from an adult?#bulling #parents #advice #parentingtips #parenting #madmomma #fyp ♬ original sound – Victoria
A Mixed Bag of Comments
TikTok users were quick to weigh in and give their thoughts.
One person said: “No parent should be independently communicating with a child without a parent’s consent. So very far over the line.”
Another commented with: “Gen X friend here. That’s a big hell nah. Put those parents in their place.“
Others wondered what had happened to the other boy to warrant such a response from the parents with one person saying: “Not understanding these comments. U want to protect ur son. But this note was clearly written by parent who ALSO wants to protect son & has been told of multiple incidents involving ur son PHYSICAL as.”
Someone else said “Seems like a harmless note just tell your kid to stay away from the other kid! Simple.”
Others just wanted an update.
The Update
Victoria was quick to post an update confirming she had spoken to the camp director and camp counsellor who witnessed the incident. They confirmed there was nothing physical that happened between the boys other than a tug of war over a hoodie.
The director was upset because the grandmother of the other little boy sat and waited for Ethan to be dropped at camp.
She tells viewers she then wrote a note of her own asking the parents to not write letters to her son. She offered to talk it out with the parents, maybe even try and get the boys to work it out since they also go to the same school, and their grandmothers run in the same social circle.
Unfortunately, the note wasn’t given to the grandmother because she had to collect her grandson early due to an incident with another kid.
@wickatoria89 #bulling #parents #advice #parentingtips #parenting #madmomma #fyp #letters #update ♬ original sound – Victoria
What else can you do? Kids are going to kid. It’s important for us as parents to acknowledge our kids aren’t angels. They’re going to get into spats with other kids and 9 times out of 10 they’ll work it out on their own without interference. When they’re in the wrong, they should own that and make amends if they can.
We’re meant to model the behaviour we want to see in our kids. Teach them how to treat others as we want to be treated and reinforce the message that it’s not okay to be mean to someone else for no reason.
