Getting beaten up by a 3 yr old!

I almost got into a fight with a 3 year old this weekend. I thought I was 3 and almost fought this little punk.

At the gym where AB plays basketball, there is a little play area for small children. UB usually goes plays in while we watch AB play. Well, UB had come out crying saying that some boy had pinched him. I sent him back in to the battle zone and I stayed looking through the window.

I spotted a little boy with a dowel rod that is about 12" long and 3" wide. He was going around the room hitting kids with this stick. Not play hitting either. The kids were yelling and trying to get away from punk kid, but his short little legs would run fast. When I saw him hit a little girl and the little girl started to cry, I went in and approached him. He saw me, gave me an evil laugh and ran into the play house looking thing. I found him and asked him nicely, "please give me the stick", "please stop hitting kids" "pleeeeaaase give me the stick". He just hit me with the stick. Over and over. I covered my head and continued to ask (nicely through clenched teeth) for the stick. He would just laugh and hit me. I finally was able to grab the stick and pull it out of his hands.

As I walked away, he followed me and started beating me with his fists. PUNK! I was shocked. I stood there, looked down and thought, "this is not happening". I looked around to see if his mom or dad or someone was around, Nope. I really just wanted to get him by his feet and hang him upside down from the light fixture.

Finally, big sister or some chick, got him and carried him off, kicking and screaming. UB tells me that this was the punk that pinched him earlier. Apparently he was tormenting all the kids in the play area.

What amazed me about the whole thing was that this kid, this 3 yr old, had no respect for an adult.

I try to teach my kids to be respectful of adults. I believe that for the most part they are. They have some adult friends and they have a hard time drawing the line between playing with the adult friend or playing with the adult adult. But all I have to do is give them 'the look' and they settle down.

This kid didn't know the look. Because trust me, I gave it to him. Of course, it was probably more of an 'I wish I were your size so that I could beat you up' look. Just kidding. No, not really. But I wouldn't hurt a child.

Seriously though, it makes you wonder how much free reign they have at their house. It's no wonder teachers get no respect from kids at school. If they are not taught about it at home, then how are they ever going to learn. Especially if the parents make it a 'child-centered' home instead of a 'God-centered'.