All playdates are off

This past weekend Zoe had a playdate with a fairly new acquaintance of mine who also has a beautiful baby girl 2 years old. Up until now Zoe has only played with other babies who are family and I learned over the past weekend it’s for daaaaaaaaaaamned good reason. I was a little overprotective of her before because she was so little and immobile. But now that she’s crawling all over the damn place and standing up trying to transition to walking I thought a playdate would be a good idea. EHHHHHHHHHHH Wrong answer!

Everything was going well, the mommies were getting along and having fun, Zoe was having a good time crawling and getting into everything and sharing toys with her new friend. Until they both focused in on the same toy to which the 2 year old tried to kick my baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh hell no. My poor baby had no idea of what was intended to be done with that foot, but see her mama was watching and her spidey senses were ON! And as naturally as breathing comes to me was my instinct to grab that foot and hang her upside down by it. Out a window!

I know that babies don’t really get the concept of sharing toys but rationality went out the door momentarily when I saw that foot lunging at my baby. See in my family if your child acts up they will get a pop or a pow pow from any and everybody within arms’ reach. But who knows if that will go over well with my new friend here. I don’t know her life. I don’t know if maybe she’ll want to fight me if I try to scald her kid for trying to kick mine. And if she did want to fight me, did she eat lunch because this was gonna be a loooooong day for her. Luckily for us all I’ve been improving upon my erratic behavior and was able to stop myself and act appropriately for the situation. Instead of following my instinct of snatching the 2 year old up, I simply caught the foot in mid action and told her not to kick my baby unless she wanted to get kicked by me (hey I’m a work in progress). Her mommy then took over the scolding. Crisis averted. Budding friendship saved!

It was in that very moment that I realized maybe I’m not ready for playdates with non family members just yet. I’m not sure of just how many near kickings I would be able to stand before I’m all about that “act up, you get slapped up” life. So until that time when Zoe is able to lay the smackdown on wayward behaving babies…All playdates are off!

I’m sure I’m not the only mommy, daddy, auntie, godmother who’s had this experience. How did you handle your situation?

No worries…I got this!

5 thoughts on “All playdates are off”

  1. Mimi says:

    Although some parents are super sensitive about other people disciplining their children I think you handled the situation much better than I would have. I probably would have had both the mother and child dangling by their ankles, kicking is just unacceptable. I too am a work in progress, lol.

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  2. Truth-Ann says:

    I’m like you…I just don’t do them. I’ve been in the same situation- even with family- and I am a mama bear through and through so I automatically want to punch a kid in the throat for messing with my girls. I haven’t had that experience so much with Aubrey but definitely with Kayla.
    Seriously, this weekend we have a 2 year old bday party and I will be the mom hovering close by watching my kid to make sure none of that foolishness happens.

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  3. Chipmunk says:

    I am like you, but Jas is at the age where I try to sit back and see how she’s going to handle the situation. Basically I wanna assess her reactions to make sure she’s not a punk. So, at a party last week there were 2 kids older than her that were trying to take her seat WHILE she was still sitting in it. Jasmine gets up, snatches the chair sits back down and stares at them like, WHAT??? I am bristling with pride. One of the girls’ father sees the whole exchange and tells me “Thats that Brownsville”, and I go “Why yes, yes it is”. My baby ain’t no punk. Lol. -Proud Mama

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