Just over a year ago was the Baby's 1st Halloween Party at my friends house. There were a lot of babies, different ages and the moms of course. I remember an event that occurred, and laughed and laughed at it, thinking it was funny, and perhaps a bit cute. There was a small baby sitting in the Bumbo chair, unable to free himself so he just sat there. Over crawled and older baby, leaned in and CHOMP...she bit him! I don't know why I found this so so humorous but I do remember asking myself - Will Eric be a biter? Will he ever do this? Well, months passed and he occasionally, mostly during teething would chomp down, not on other kids, but our fingers, or he thought it was funny to go for our toes when we sat on the couch and weren't paying attention. But that passed and I was thankful that the answer to my earlier questions wasn't in fact Eric.
We go to Mom and Tot over at the community league every Wednesday morning from 9-11. There are lots of kids, all different ages - up to 5 years. The Moms try to get in some visiting time, and the kids basically run free and play. We also do crafts and have a snack. I just started going in September and am just getting to know the other Mom's and Caregivers now. There are a couple ladies who have 2 kids; a toddler, and a newborn baby. They mostly sit and chat while holding their new babies while the other child runs free and plays.
Eric's favorite activity is the slide, he climbs up to the top and yells for me before he lets go to sit and slide down, he has done this ever since our first day there. I am usually close enough to leap to him to help him down. Sometimes he stands up to and hollers until I notice, either way, I don't mind because I would rather him not fall. Most other kids leave this toddler slide alone, but there is one little girl, who's Mother is one with a newborn, who also loves the slides. She climbs to the top and sits down and just sits there. Now, this doesn't fend well with Eric, and she is in his way. I usually am right there to tell him that he has to wait his turn and tell the little girl to hurry up...but I say it nicer than that!! So I am just chatting with some other mommy's and I notice both Eric and this little girl at the base of the slide, and think nothing of it, because I want him to learn to work it out and play on his own. Well, then I hear a shriek....and not that of my "little angel" Eric. Its the little girl, she is now running over to her mother who is across from me. I look over at Eric, who has now climbed up the slide and instead of calling for me, he stands there with an expression on his face that I had not ever seen before. He looks pale, and well, guilty! So I calmly walk over to him and pluck him from atop the slide, and tell him its not nice to push, assuming this was his action. He leans in and kisses me on the cheek....which he usually saves for when I am either leaving or he is headed to bed. I think to myself - odd. So the mother is now comforting her child...with her newborn in the other arm fast asleep. I walked over to them. Now, I have to say that since attending this group, this woman is the one mother I least enjoy being around. She's very stoic, and almost snotty or judgmental looking and seems to watch every move I make with Eric. One day while I ran to Eric calling for me from atop the slide, she muttered in passing "The best lessons are hard one" I mean come on - did she want me to let him fall? Anyways, we just don't click and I think its fairly mutual. My intention was to bring Eric to her to see she was hurt and patch things up between the two of them. It was like he understood he did something wrong, but not what an apology even was. I suggested maybe Eric pinched her as he has done to me and Chris before. So the little "victim" I will now call her....peaks her head up and all I hear is the word "BITE" and the mom looks for her arm and whips up her sleeve....and there it was. A huge red, almost skin piercing bite mark. No, not Eric. Now the mom kinda shots me this look and I quickly react by offering to grab a cold cloth for her. Wow, I thought to myself while getting the cloth, in disbelief, not Eric - he doesn't ever bite. So I of course keep apologizing for the remainder of the morning and she tells me her daughter is fine and that you can't even see the bite mark...yeah right - he almost broke the skin! Well, as I am always trying to correct a bad situation I say to her "You know some of my friends bite their kids back but I don't think this is right, I mean, it really teaches them nothing". She looks at me with the stoic expression on her face and says back"Well, as a parent once your had tried everything sometimes you have to resort to the awful, we bit her once and she hasn't bitten since." Of course she is of the biting back school of thought! Ahhh Christy - just keep your mouth shut! So we discretely packed up and were out of there!!
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