: Why Other Children are Rejecting Your Child

[misty]

I hope its better for her too. I'm dreading next year when Shannon goes to the middle school & has swimming. I remember swim classes in school & how mean kids can be over the slightest difference in body styles. UGH.

crazyhouse, I just cannot understand the dirty look! Like CG said, your son wasn't being mean to the child & you did reprimand him. I've seen plenty of parents who wouldn't even bother stopping their child from picking up someone else's baby, let alone stay nearby to make sure he sits in the chair afterwards.

[crazyhouse]

Oh my gosh I was so glad we were called in 2 minutes later that way I didn't have to worry about Jake having a conflict with her 2 older kids!!! I wasn't scared of the woman ( I could have taken her little butt in the parking lot) but I wouldn't, just for my kids. He has had some really huge focus issues lately but we are waiting for a call back from the mental health people Monday.

Anyways my mother in law has some funny stories about my husband as a child. He was so overly personable that they would go on vacation and be at like a motel or a truck stop and he would come back with sometimes two and three total strangers and treat them like they had been best friends forever!!! Drove her nuts!!! I see Jake being like that.

We have been really talking about stranger danger lately and getting lost in the store and mall. Tonight at the mall we found a little boy who lost his mommy he was like almost 3 so we called security and did not leave him until the mom found us and him waiting. She didn't look all frantic or worried. If it were me I would be running up and down Isles screaming Jake!!!!

I live in a very populated area. I see lots of horrible things happen on the news so I don't trust anyone. The Walmart guy that assaulted that child in the game section my friend goes to that walmart. I couldn't live with myself if something happen to Jake and it scares me that he can be so friendly.

Wow I never even got swimming in high school she's lucky I wanted to try out for the swimming team as a teenager. I would still be concerned that she is in that Health class with those kids. You don't want them befriending her or getting her in trouble in class. Be cautious

[misty]

crazyhouse,

When Shannon was little one of the things we taught her was if she ever got lost in a store or the mall, etc, to look for a mom to ask for help. Its not foolproof, but a mom with kids in tow is much more likely to help a lost child & less likely to be a pervert or a kidnapper. Plus, moms are usually much more readily available than store employees or policemen.

We also taught her that if anyone ever tried to grab her the thing to do was scream "This isn't my father (or mother)" as loud as she can. And we taught her never to go anywhere with ANYONE, even Grandma, without asking us first.

Its such a shame the world has to be so scary. I remember being 7 & just running down the street to play with my friends. My mom never sat outside to watch us....my daughter is 12 & I get scared letting her walk anywhere alone.

[charliegirl]

Since we are on the topic of stranger danger, there are some really great books out there for every age group that help you explain it, and the proper actions to take without terrifying your child.

One thing I did was give my children a code word. If I ever couldn't pick them up, the person I sent would tell them the code word. If that person didn't know it, my child was to refuse to go. This included people on my list of people I approved to pick my children up at school. Another adult also had to know they were leaving with that person.

They knew they could go with Grandma or my sister without prior notice and didn't have to use the code. Anyone else, that included close family friends, had to know the code word. That was to prevent someone we thought we could trust from taking them without anyone knowing.

I was glad of this when my pastor (someone I considered a close family friend of many years) was caught molesting a child and turned in by his wife. He had been on my approved list at school, so by not letting my kids go with him if he didn't have the code, and if I hadn't told them specifically that he was going to pick them up may be what prevented them from becoming his victems.

[crazyhouse]

Wow that is scary when it is so close to home. I understand with Jake we have taught him my full name and my hubbys full name so we can be paged and we have also gone above and beyond stressing that I would never never ever never leave a store without him so if someone said she's right outside they're lying to get you to the door. We also told him it's ok to start calling for me in a loud voice until either someone helps him or he finds me. We also told him if someone wants to help find us that he should make sure they are wearing the store vest blue or red (big walmart shopper) we have now tried getting him to keep his hand on the side of the cart since he walks next to the cart (he's to big to be in the cart) no room for groceries with those long legs in there! He has been so unfocused lately it's been exhausting just to go 2 places. But help will be here soon I'm sure

[charliegirl]

crazyhouse said:

we have also gone above and beyond stressing that I would never never ever never leave a store without him so if someone said she's right outside they're lying to get you to the door.)

That is an excellent point and one I had never thought of making. I'm going to make sure my daughter knows to tell her kids.