Playgroup

Just got back from playgroup - and for once we didn't have an episode that ended in tot getting hurt and crying. When I say hurt - not real hurt - just knocked over, although one week he did have a slight bruise on his arm. I'm not the kind of mother who wraps their kids up in cotton wool (well, if I did then they wouldn't go to the play group in the first place I suppose) but I always keep an eye out for them when they go to these baby and toddler get-togethers. The problem is that there are two boys who are a year older than tot (which is quite a lot when you are only 3!) and they are deliberately picking on him. It makes me feel so angry but because it is a parent-organised group it is difficult for me to say or do anything to change the way these terrors are: all I can do is protect my boys by being there to keep an eye that no harm comes to them. A few weeks ago I voluteered to do the teas and coffees as the mum that used to do it left as her son was starting school. So the problem started then. These boys are devious little monsters that look around to see if an adult is watching before racing around with a trike and deliberately ploughing into another child. They go to the pre-school (but still go to the playgroup too) and apparently they are completely different kids there: they behave because they know they have to. A few of tot's friends have stopped coming as they now go to pre-school so it seems like he has lost his comrades and these boys really are picking on him. When they see him one of them will say, "there he is" and they will go after him. One week I told tot that they were naughty boys and that he should ignore them - however, he is at the age where he is getting very chatty yet no inhibition and so he goes along to the playgroup saying to them, " You are the naughty boys"! As children do at that age they then started to call him a naughty boy, so that now when they see him they say "there he is, the naughty boy" which gets tot all upset. Last week one of their mums saw them hurt tot and she came and told me in the kitchen and apologised and got the boy to say sorry to tot. I was contemplating not going back but then I thought why should we when if it wasn't for those two both my boys would have a lovely time. Anyway, today I got tot sitting down at the craft table colouring in while I did the tea and coffees. He was happy to sit there until I had finished and came to join him. Only when I took him and the baby into the main play area would he venture into it though and he is normally so confident. But today we had no tears and they seemed to enjoy themselves. I just felt nervous the whole time though always having to watch out so we shall have to see how things turn out as to whether we carry on going there.