Wednesday, February 1, 2012

The One Time I Wasn't a Pushover

I often wonder what kind of mother I'll be.

I wonder if I see a someone on the playground picking on my kid if I'll be able to teach them how to stand up for themselves,

Or teach them how to walk away.


I was always a "scare-dy cat".

I made friends with the mean girls at school to insure they weren't my enemies.
(Probably the best advise my Mother ever gave me.)

Don't get me wrong I didn't hang out with them on weekends but I slapped them 5 every time I passed them in school.

It paid of too when Taylor Ryan saved me in the Nathan Hale girls' bathroom.

I swear I was about to get pounded by a 250 pound Mexican girl*.
(I was in the 5th grade BTW)

Until Taylor stepped in. "Let her go guys, she's cool."

Phew.

Fast forward to last summer in the pool.

I was swimming with 2 of my nieces and nephew in our community pool.

And some little brat who was probably 5, kept stealing our pool toys.

It was seriously obnoxious and her mom was nowhere to be found.

I told Kylee(8), Kalyn(4) and Koltyn(2) that we should just ignore her and keep playing.

Well she kept stealing Kalyn's toy.

Kylee looked at me waiting for me to respond.
Of course I didn't.

The eternal peacemaker that I am I just got our other toys and gave them to my nieces and nephew.

After the little bully kept stealing those toys, Kylee had finally had enough.


"Hey! Those are our pool toys. Stop taking them from my sister it's not nice."

I felt like such a loser.

I promised myself I would not be that person ever again.

December 22, 2011.

In Kayenta, Arizona.

At the Burger King playland.

Meet my niece Rylie....

Photobucket


It was her 3rd birthday.

And she was having a blast playing with all the big kids in the play land.

We were on our way to Utah to spend Christmas with our family,

And we stopped for lunch and to give her a break from the car ride.

Hey, It was her birthday, she deserved it.

She was trying to conquer the jungle gym stairs but her legs simply were not long enough. 

She needed help.

Her Dad was getting our food. Her Mom was holding her baby brother.

So Aunt Krystle stepped in.

I am not small. But Rylie needed help.

So I lodged myself on the first step and began to assist her.

First step. Done. Second step.....just about there.....
And then I hear this voice.

Monotonous.

Yelling....

"MOVE. MOVE. MOVE."

I give Rylie a shove up the 3rd and final step and hear it again.....

"MOVE. MOVE. MOVE."

Then it occurs to me that these commands are directed towards me.

I look down and what do you know.

The meanest looking Indian kid* is looking me right in the eye.

And he is yelling at me.

"MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!"

And then something inside me snapped. 

And I yelled.

"I'll move when I'm ready!!!"

"Can't you see that I'm helping a little girl!?!?!? Are you freaking kidding me?"

I then moved and he proceeded to race up the steps.....

No apology. Nothing. 

I ducked, stepping through the net curtains and my Sister Natalie was standing there holding her baby.

With her mouth hanging open.

And then we cracked up laughing.


Natalie later proclaimed that she was pretty proud of me.

"I heard you say you'd move when you were ready. I thought good for Krystle standing up for herself. And then you just kept on going at him. It was awesome."

So as it turns out. 

I think I'll teach my kids how to stand up for themselves.

No one likes a scare-dy cat.



** I am not prejudice. Bullies come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

7 comments:

  1. I am so proud of you too, Krystle! And I'm sure Rylie was so grateful for the help! I often think that if I don't step in and say something to bullies then they'll never learn and they'll keep on bullying. But then again, I don't think I'll have any problem standing up for my kids 'cause I'm, ya know, that kinda girl!

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  2. Ha! I love it. Once I didn't stand up for my own kid and I swear it's one of my biggest regrets. I'll tell you the story sometime.

    I JUST told Halle the other day to stand up for herself to the class bully. I encouraged her to push him down and tell him "Stop messing with me or I'll pound you!"

    That's the way the Garretts roll.

    Plus, he comes up to like her belly button...

    That's the other way the Garretts roll.

    LOVE YOU!

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  3. I am seriously laughing so hard right now! That might be the best story ever!

    I think that its good to teach your kids to be polite and sometimes its best to let things go, but then there are the times when something needs to be said and you need to stand up for yourself. I had this talk with Lucas last weekend. His cousin (on Brandon's side) was being mean and telling Lucas that he wasn't doing things right, that he wasn't smart, and telling him what to do. (and ps. it was hard for me not to yell at this kid!) This was one of those times when I told him it was ok to say something back. I told him to say "I am smart, I'm doing this way because I want to and you're not the boss of me." He backed off after that.

    I think you're going to be a great mom and your kid will be one of the coolest kids I'll know!

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  4. you totally showed the 5 yr old who's boss. well played rystlekay.

    your little babe is the luckiest to have you as her mom.

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    Replies
    1. jill- he was at least 11 and he was just about as big as me.

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  5. You Rock.
    Loved the shout out to Taylor Ryan...totally forgot about that scary chick. Glad she was on your side.
    As for the large indian girls...I was friends with Joyce, who was friends with Autumn (the scariest girl), so I was good.
    ps...totally excited for you!

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