Ok, my heart was broken today at a Chick-fil-a playland. It started out to be a lovely time....ordered a chicken nugget kid's meal to share with Cami, sat down next to the playland glass so that I could watch her play. She sat and ate with me until she just couldn't stand the excitement anymore and wanted to go play. So I took her in there, took off her little light-up flower shoes, and sent her on her little way. This is the 3rd time she's really played in a playland, and she LOVES it. She loves being around big kids, and being surrounded by action and laughing kiddos, and this time was no different. I watched her go down the slide a few times, and she'd look for me through the window and wave and say "Hi Mama!"
And THEN, this little toddler boy about her age came up and pushed her over. She didn't think much of it, got up and continued playing. I thought "That was rude" and continued watching closely. About 5 minutes later, as Cami got off the slide and was just standing on the ground, he came up again, knocked her down, got on top of her and started slapping her face. I jumped out of my chair so fast and rushed over to the door of the stupid playland, right as I saw him take a big chunk of her cheek and claw her!! Oooo it makes me so mad right now. I rushed over and got in his face and just said "NO!!" as his big sister pulled him off (too late, obviously) to find Cami flat on her back with bleeding claw marks and a bewildered terrified look on her face. And then she started bawling like her heart was broken, and it just broke my heart!
I grabbed her shoes, took her back out and tried to look for that dumb kid's mom, but nobody seemed to have noticed except for a nice little girl who came up and asked what had happened and if she was ok. (She'd been playing with Cami earlier). Once Cami stopped crying (ya know that really sad, hurt feelings kind of cry), I spotted a mom who was watching him, and I said "Excuse me, is that your son in the gray sweatsuit?" "Yes". "Well he just knocked my daughter over and did THIS to her (pointing to her face)" and she said "Oh my, he did that to her? I'm so sorry!" She really did look surprised and sorry. I just said "Yeah, he made her bleed. That was NOT nice at all." I'm such a dork. But I had to wrap it up cuz I was on the verge of tears.
So we left, and got out to our car, and as soon as I started putting Cami in her carseat, I broke down crying. Just at the sight of her poor face, and the emotions I was feeling for having watched it happen through the glass and not getting there fast enough. Cami, of course, just stared at me in confusion, and was pretty much over the ordeal herself. But I searched in my purse and found a little Kit Kat bar and gave it to her, to make her feel better (but probably just to make me feel better). And then eager to get out of there, I went to start the car and it was DEAD. Fabulous. The car wouldn't turn over. The same thing happened last week, so I knew it just needed a jump, but I called Jake, my knight in shining armor, and he came to the rescue. But don't think I didn't bawl on the phone first as I recapped the playland incident and my aching heart. My goodness, Jake must have thought someone had died or that we had been in some terrible accident, but I got out words like "Chick-fil-a.....playland....stupid kid....Cami got attacked...." Anyways, after Jake jumped the car a half hour later and I was getting Cami in her seat, the mom and her kids walked out and I ducked out of sight so I didn't have to see her. But I don't think she even took her son out of the playland after we left or did anything, which makes me mad. I think that's the end of Cami's playland days for now.
The thing that hurts is to see your child hurt at someone else's expense. And I know this won't be the only time it happens! And I know that Cami isn't an angel, and that she has her moments and maybe in nursery she has shoved a kid or two, I really don't know. But I pray that she will never do something like what that little kid did to her. And I hate thinking about how physical pain is sad to watch, but emotional pain will be even harder. Like when she's 16 and a boy breaks her heart or hurts her feelings and she lays in her room and cries....I'm sure that's way hard for any parent to watch. And holy cow, how did our Heavenly Father feel when he watched his own son being hated and crucified?? I know that's on a totally larger scale, but I understand now what it feels like to be a parent and have your heart go walking outside your chest. The first time I felt it was when Cami had her first shot in her teensy little newborn heel, and I sat in the corner and cried while she cried. And today was just another instance, and I'm sure there'll be many more. Oh man, help me.
8 comments:
oh my goodness...this post makes me want to cry. Cami is just so sweet and so cute...I can't imagine having to watch someone hurt her like that. You are such a good mom! Cami is lucky to have you!
That is the saddest story! I hate it when parents don't watch their kids, especially if they know their kids are aggressive little you know... brats? Is that mean to say? I just get frustrated with parents who do not properly discipline their kids, since I am a teacher. I am so sorry that happened to Cami!
That made me cry too! Poor sweet girl...it kind of strips her of her innocence of thinking the world is wonderful and everyone loves her! I'm so sorry! And yes, it's always painful to see your babies hurting in any way, and that never ends! Hearing about your phone call to Jake reminds me when Brittney cut her long hair off the day before she turned 3. I called Dad just sobbing, saying, "Brittney....cut.....cut....she cut...." and Dad was like, "What???? What did she cut???" and when I finally got out "her HAIR!" he was so relieved. Funny now, traumatic at the time!
I already commented on your Facebook and said I would've pushed that kid myself and disguised a few kicks and slaps. But it really is frustrating. The closest I can get to that kind of experience is when I'm walking Sadie and she's innocently prancing along down the street, and then some random dog appears out of nowhere and starts biting at her and snarling, etc. But I don't know how I would've handled the playland incident. So sad! I like your insights on the whole parenting/pain matter and I guess that's not something to look forward to in Cam's later years. Bless her little precious heart.
Poor Cam, and poor you! Even after hearing the story a couple different times it still brings a tear to my eye to read this! I hate seeing our kids suffer - it's the worst. But at least she's over it and maybe a little tougher because of it! (Maybe?) I love you!
This story made me cry! Poor Cami! Reminds me of how once my parents took Lincoln to the McDonald's playland and I tagged along (before I was married. Link was bout 2 years old). He was up in the playland and all the sudden we heard this loud horrible scream and Lincoln came tearing down the platforms on the playland, shirtless! And he had on a long sleeved shirt. He was TERRIFIED and shaking. Some little girl who had been up there with him pointed out this 4 year old bully who had terrorized Lincoln and it was all I could do not to smack him across the room. I did yell at him and then his mom came over and appologized and made him stop playing. I felt just like you did and Lincoln's not even my kid.
Oh my gosh, that is the saddest story. Poor Cami!!! That boy's mom - ooh that makes me mad. She should NOT have let him keep playing. That kid has to learn there are consequences! And he ought to learn it from his parents! Makes me wonder what goes on in their home. But let's hope it was just a random crazy moment for the boy. I will try my best to not let my little rambunctious boy become a mean bully. I just can't believe he BIT her and SCRATCHED her face!! Psycho!!
I read this post the night you first wrote it and it had me bawling. It makes me so mad and sad too. I totally feel your pain and anxiety at watching your child going through pain. I am terrified for the years to come, especially the school years coming up. I really do understand now why parents home school their kids. It's so so tempting!
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