Have You Ever Stood Up for Someone Else?
Have You Ever Stood Up for Someone Else?
Have Your Children?
Photo Credit: Biscarotte
“You know, we don’t let our children play with them.”
My neighbor was trying to warn me about her next-door-neighbor’s children. I stopped her with, “We let our children choose their own friends.” I liked the boy she was talking about, who was our son’s age. He was sweet. He seemed needy, as the child of a family who moves often does. I had no idea what family troubles drove them. But, whatever they were, my neighbor thought the boy a bad influence and wouldn’t let her children hang out with him.
While I appreciated her concern and did not resent the warning, I thought it important that children learn to judge character. I trusted my son’s instincts. Several months later, I noticed he wasn’t playing with the boy anymore.
“You’re not friends, any more?”
“No. He was mean to me.”
“You know, you’re probably his only friend.”
“Yeah. I know. You’d think he wouldn’t be mean to me.”
The family moved again a few months later.
Carol Covin, Granny-Guru, Author, “Who Gets to Name Grandma? The Wisdom of Mothers and Grandmothers” http://newgrandmas.com
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In the classroom, I made a point to stand up for students who typically tend to get picked on. Many teachers don't do that, and I always felt that was real shame.
Sometimes teachers are the only ones standing up for kids. I'm glad you were a role model that way.
We have special needs kids in our family (my sister in law's kids). My wife spent a year or so as a school bus driver and would make it a point that the special needs kids on the bus were left alone.
I been their and seen that as a teacher. Kids like that often pushed others away because they were afraid of rejection and disappointment. So it was easy to be unsociable and unapproachable. It took serious effort to get them to let down their guard. 🙂
Special needs kids could certainly be targets. It's good to know they are sometimes lucky enough to have angels watching out for them.
What a great question & interesting story. I would let my own kids choose their friends, too & trust their judgment:)