My mom said the same thing
When confronted with bullies, should you teach your kids to retaliate? I think so. So does Ted.
I am not making this up:
When I was about six, there was a neighborhood bully who had some severe emotional problems. He was about nine and weighed considerably more than me. He’d snap if a game didn’t go his way or he didn’t get what he wanted. I was never taught to be a fighter. He beat me up several times and I’d go cry to Mom. One day mom said that if I fought back, the kid would stop. Actually, it’s my mom. Who am I kidding? What she said was if I he kicked my ass again, she’d kick my ass again when I got home. Ah, I love my mom.
One day it happened. The ice cream truck didn’t stop (seriously, I’m not making that up). Psycho kid then took out his rage on the nearest thing. It happened to be me. He punched me in the stomach several times and kicked me some. It stopped. I went running home.
I recalled what mom said about getting two ass-kickings in one day. Not a good thing. I got to my porch and pondered. I stopped crying. I grabbed a Tonka truck (the old metal kind that are probably deemed unsafe for kids today due to some arbitrary federal regulation) and went back into the street.
I walked up to the bully and pummeled him relentlessly with the Tonka truck. He later required stitches. He never went nuts on me again. In fact, he and the other kids in the neighborhood never picked on me again. Justice was served.
I found out later that maybe I took it too far. Mom wanted me to fight back and kick his ass. Not necessarily assault him with a Tonka truck. I went a bit overboard but based on my parental guidance thought I made the right decision. Regardless, she was still proud.
That’s one of the many reasons why I love my mom and her wisdom.
February 4th, 2004 at 11:18 am
I did the same thing with a GI Joe MOBAT. In hindsight, I wish I had used the big Tonka truck. I loved that tank, which sadly did not survive the beating.
I think parents get a little tickled by how we as children take their advice and improvise upon it.
February 4th, 2004 at 12:09 pm
At some point every boy has to get the lesson that the solution to being beat up is to fight back. I still remember my dad and brother showing me how to fight after I’d been picked on. Crying is not an effective response to a bully.
February 4th, 2004 at 4:40 pm
A lesson I never had to learn — unfortunately — since my best friend (then and now) would take on anyone who screwed with me. A lesson I will, nevertheless, have to teach the Little Earthling.