For those of you unfamiliar with The First Person Shooter Game TEAM FORTRESS 2, here is a picture of a character called "The Scout".
For some reason (I *like* think it's because The Scout runs fast) Frank took to dressing like The Scout...
This was all well and good and cute and lasted about three weeks... until "The Scout" got upset with "The Younger Brother" and used his "Hand-to-Hand Weapon" in a very Scout-like fashion... Frank hit Jack with a baseball bat!
Gratefully, it was a foam bat and a glancing hit. But THAT WAS IT for "The Scout" and watching ANYTHING from violent games.
Momma has spoken!
Post Script: I just re-watched the Intro for The Scout and I noticed something... The Scout is little and he beats up on someone bigger than him. I feel this too speaks to Frank as he's been having a tough time fitting in with the older boys who live on our block. Frank is the same size as many and even bigger than one of the oldest (12 year olds), but he's less than half their age, so, he acts in ways that confuse the older boys. They just don't get why someone their own size acts like their little sisters... anyway, I'll bet this is another reason why Frank identifies with The Scout. Still. Baseball bats and hammers (something he mentioned wanting to use when the older boys were picking on him) are just plain UN.AC.CEPT.AB.LE!
4 comments:
I think it is strange and sad that kids can be so cruel. It really does seem to be accidental in nature most of the time and not just for the sake of. Know what I mean?
Have you considered putting the boys in Karate? Because both of your boys are on the "tall" side for their respective ages, teasing and confusion is something they will likely encounter for a great many years. With Karate it might teach them a more constructive way to channel their feelings about this. It is not at all unatural for him to get angry about this treatment and it is natural that he would want to strike out at those making him feel this way. Perhaps Karate will give him the mental tools to better cope with it and the physical tools to defend himself physically if it turns into actual physical bullying and not just verbal. I don't know...just a thought.
Also, I was just wondering what you meant in your comment about "acting like their sisters." Is it just that they are younger so that is how they associate him?
Yes. Younger sisters exactly. Without going into all the households ages and genders, it's basically three households with four kids each. For some strange reason, each household has two boys ages 9-12 and two girls (one girl is 12, but the others are ages 2-7). So, even though Frank is the size of the boys, he is the age, development, and mentality of the little sisters.
I have been approached by several friends with the idea of martial arts for the boys, as a way of discipline and training. Unfortunately, in our small area, I have only found Martial Arts that start at age 8.
So. For the moment, we are going to keep going with the thing that just makes Frank glow... Ice Skating. Right now, he's actually expressing an interest in Ice Skating AND playing Hockey. I'm still trying to decide if he can handle going to practice four nights a week though. We did it last week and it was tiring for all of us. In September, actually classes and practices and sign-ups start. So, we can keep "trying it out" for two more weeks before we decide.
Also, one month ago, Frank's friend arrived on our street. They are two months apart in age, similar in size, and AMAZINGLY COMPATIBLE!!! They play together for hours and hours. The only trouble they have is involving their siblings. They would like it to be just the two of them. Having a friend that he can see regular ally, even while Jack plays with the kids in the neighborhood, is also helping, but it doesn't solve the bigger problem and we are still working on that solution.
Yeah, okay, that's a bit scary. I thought you were going to say the older boys were picking on him or something.
Well. The day he wanted to hit them with a hammer, they were picking on him. Five of them decided to simultaneously throw basketballs and footballs at him, from a close range, for him to "play catch" with them... all at once. Gratefully, the oldest boy (who is very nice to my boys) brought Frank home (crying). We haven't allowed them out unattended since that incident, and I continue to ponder appropriate outlets and ways to teach Frank about how to be good and accepted and deal with meanness...
Post a Comment