The heebie-jeebies
There are some touches that just give you the heebie-jeebies. I had a guy - whom I named Sexual Harrassment Harry - at the airport who was one of these people. He'd come up behind me and put his hands on my shoulders and try to give me a massage or he'd walk up and put his arm around me and squeeze me to him. THOSE touches were completely inappropriate and I told him as much. Needless to say, he moved on to the hairy-armed gal next to me who was starved for the attention and savored it. *shrug* Her own choice.
But, the story of the 4-year-old Waco kid who got in-school suspension for doing a raspberry/motorboat (whatever you want to call it) on the boobs of a teacher's aide while giving her a hug just made me shake my head.
Kids that age - unless they've been molested or mistreated somehow - don't regard their actions as anything more than innocent playfulness. In our house, we all get "love pats" on the backside or we blow raspberries on the kids' tummies. When my eldest was about 6, he took it upon himself to give a love pat to his gymnastics teacher when she turned around and bent over. I could see it happening from the spectators' area, but there was nothing I could do. Judging by the look on his face, he probably thought he was being affectionate and playful. But, she turned around wagging her finger in his face and gave him a stern reprimand before walking him over to me. He learned his lesson the hard way. Hot Rod, who is 7, has taken to giving mom love pats, too. His dad and I, both, are working on breaking him of that habit because of things like this stupid teacher's aide in Waco getting her panties in a wad and assuming this 4-year-old to be a lecherous man in training.
Common sense has been chunked out the window and it is really sad.
But, the story of the 4-year-old Waco kid who got in-school suspension for doing a raspberry/motorboat (whatever you want to call it) on the boobs of a teacher's aide while giving her a hug just made me shake my head.
Kids that age - unless they've been molested or mistreated somehow - don't regard their actions as anything more than innocent playfulness. In our house, we all get "love pats" on the backside or we blow raspberries on the kids' tummies. When my eldest was about 6, he took it upon himself to give a love pat to his gymnastics teacher when she turned around and bent over. I could see it happening from the spectators' area, but there was nothing I could do. Judging by the look on his face, he probably thought he was being affectionate and playful. But, she turned around wagging her finger in his face and gave him a stern reprimand before walking him over to me. He learned his lesson the hard way. Hot Rod, who is 7, has taken to giving mom love pats, too. His dad and I, both, are working on breaking him of that habit because of things like this stupid teacher's aide in Waco getting her panties in a wad and assuming this 4-year-old to be a lecherous man in training.
Common sense has been chunked out the window and it is really sad.
3 Comments:
At 10:35 PM, December 11, 2006,
MrsDoF said…
I heard on the radio today that youth groups are having a difficult time getting good adult sponsors. My first thought was that nobody wants to be accused of molesting an innocent child, is unwilling to take on the responsibility or remote possibility.
Affectionate touches are often truly innocent, especially from a child.
You have reminded me of a Walter Matthau movie KOTCH.
I'll have to dust it off and watch it soon.
At 11:23 PM, December 11, 2006,
Army of Mom said…
You have to be careful whenever you supervise children. I know my husband will NOT let any of his soccer players ride in the car with him without another child there, too. You just can't put yourself in any positions for people to take actions out of context. I just find this appalling. Little Bit still thinks it is endearing to pat any part of me. She sees nothing 'sexual' about any part of the body. We are in the process of teaching about private parts, but she is so innocent, she has no idea and she is four, just like this little boy. Just irritates me that people have to read so much into an innocent child's actions. When Pickle was 8, he used his middle finger to point at something and the other children all freaked and told on him. When he was sent to the office, they called me because he was inconsolable, he didn't know what he did wrong. I had to explain to him that it is an ugly hand gesture - he had no idea and the school killed his innocence to that. I could go on and on.
At 7:34 AM, December 12, 2006,
Anonymous said…
Yeah that school was really bad about trying to ruin innocence early on in life.
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