The words strike Lil-lil like a snake bite. Frozen, her eyes turn red as tears well in the corner. Her head drops and she sits slowly on rock. Lil-lil turns back and looks, checking that what just happened wasn't something she imagined.
After a minute, she stumbles over to me, 'I want to go home', the words catching in her throat.
I put my arms around her, then grasp her hand as tightly as I can and head across the park.
Halfway home, Lil-lil says: 'Why doesn't anyone like me?' My heart sinks.
'Oh, there's lots and lots of people who like you! Lots of people who love you.' I then rattle off name after name. Slowly the smile comes back to her face.
'I know you really like her and want her to be your friend, but if she doesn't want to play with you there are plenty of other people who like you and want to be your friend,' I try to reassure her.
She skips the rest of the way home. My heart still feels like it's going to fall out of my chest in a million pieces. I know that this is the first of many times someone in a playground will hurt her. Someone she desperately wants to impress. Someone she wants to befriend. I know that she needs to become resilient, but when her feelings are hurt, her pain is multiplied by 100 in me.
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Oh, that stuck a knife into my heart too. It's absolutely horrid, but you're right, building this resilience now will help so much when they're older {doesn't stop your heart from breaking though...}
ReplyDeleteAwww it is so true! It is supremely difficult not to go rushing in (and telling the little kid who crushes your kid that they're meanies!). Sounds like your daughter knows that above all else, she can rely on you. Gorgeous how you turned it around for her.
ReplyDeleteMy heart broke for your little girl when I read the start of this post. Children can be so cruel to each other. But I loved how you turned things around and made her feel special.
ReplyDeleteMy heart is breaking. You said all the right things.
ReplyDeleteGah! Don't write anymore, I'll cry!
ReplyDeletePoor Lil, she sounds like a real sweetheart.
You did the right thing, telling her how loved she is... Although yes, it won't stop your heart from breaking.
This happened to Abi recently, twice actually, in playgrounds. Older boys pushing her around and her saying "Sorry" for getting in their way??!! Too sweet.
And a little boy smacked her in the face so hard at the playground on Tuesday, that her sunglasses fell off. I could have knocked this boy over and beaten him senseless for hurting my love. His mother was draped in Chanel, not even watching her son terrorise the whole playground. I wanted to go over and break her sunglasses and show her how it felt... Ok, end of rant! Haha, sorry!
xx
Oh, dear. I absolutely know the feeling you're talking about...I've felt it before many times. You just want to wrap them up and hold them tight forever.
ReplyDeleteMy 8yo had a difficult time at school last yr. THe kids worked out that if they upset him, he would get fired up and throw a bit of a tanty, so they kept doing it because it was funny. For the 8yo: he just felt left out and unloved and even asked to change schools!
We talked to him about how to handle it, and it improved. It was awful though,knowing how much he disliked going to school back then.
xx
Oh it's so true! Can't we just wrap them up in a bunny rug until they're old enough to...well...I guess it never stops.
ReplyDeleteYou did say all the right things, but I hope those horrible moments are few and far between.
Poor little poppet. Hugs to and Lil-lil.xxx
ReplyDeleteawwwwww big hugs! that breaks my heart! keira has had a few run ins and I find them hard and don't want to even think about next year at big school when I'm not there!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteawww. you handled it beautifully. I'm still wiping away tears. It's not easy being a mum. My kids still have all this playground stuff ahead of them and I don't if I'll handle it well.
ReplyDeleteOh, bless her heart. There is nothing worse than knowing our kids are hurting. I loved how your comforted her and reminded her of how loved she is. xx
ReplyDeleteOh poor little princess... it was heart wrenching to read this.
ReplyDeleteI know that heart ache you get when you feel your child hurting, I also am amazed at how resilient kids are.
ReplyDeleteAwwww bless her,the poor little princess :(
ReplyDeleteAwww. My husband has just asked if I'm OK because as I sit here I have the biggest frowny face on. Poor Lil-lil - tough lessons that I wish we didn't have to learn so early :(
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