Our shocking session at the playground
Something happened yesterday and I feel I should write about the incident and share my thoughts after I reflected on it.
Here it goes.
I took the kids to the playground, and after Anya parked her bike she went straight to the play area. I sat on a nearby bench while Vai enjoyed the view from his pram.
I was half-checking my mails when I looked up and saw Anya at the top of the lowest level slide. In what felt like a split second I then saw Anya ‘half thrown’ off the equipment. Her little hand somehow managed to grab hold of the nearest pole though before she fell straight to the ground.
It was when I saw her looking at me and started crying that I came out of my ‘shock’.
A lady then told me that she saw someone pushed her.
Apparently a little boy (who looked like he’s about 2 years old) did it. The boy was still on the play equipment and so I approached him, asking him if he was the one who pushed. I told him in a matter-of-fact tone how Anya fell after he pushed her and that what he did wasn’t right.
I then asked, “Now do you have something to say to her?”
And this was what I got.
He yelled at me, gave me fingers and angrily flung his arms all over the place. Then his sister – about 4 or 5 years old I think – came to join him. She even wanted to give me a KICK on the face! [and I didn’t even raise my voice when I first spoke to them]
I. Was. Mad. And. In. Utter. Disbelief. Of. What’s. Just. Happened.
And to cut the story short(er), I found out that the grandpa was sitting on a nearby bench. I politely spoke to him in Malay, telling him what’s just happened. The grandpa called his grandson and asked him to apologise, but instead this little guy came towards me, yelled and left.
I asked the grandpa and found out that the 2 siblings are cared for by their maid most of the time and that both their parents work and are hardly around.
[Oh, btw, 10 minutes later, the boy pushed a little one year old girl. Luckily she held on to a pole and didn’t fall. He came back and shoved her till her forehead hit a pole. When nicely told by the little girl’s daddy that what he did was wrong, the little boy raised his right arm wanting to slap the grown up man. I just couldn’t believe my eyes!]
The three of us went back home soon after. And frankly, I was feeling emotionally distraught by the whole incident. I’ve never encountered ANYTHING like that before.
And to think that Anya could’ve fallen head first, pulled a muscle, or worse, break her leg.
I reflected on the incident throughout the night and here are some of my thoughts.
>> Firstly, I’m VERY thankful to God for watching over Anya. She’s not physically injured from the fall at all (it was twice her height). If she hadn’t managed to grab the pole before she fell to the ground, worse things would’ve happened for sure.
>> Many factors must’ve contributed to the kids’ behaviour. Perhaps they watch violent TV programmes. Perhaps their parents fight a lot and are very rude to the kids and to each other. Perhaps they long for love and attention, but never get them from the family. Perhaps their parents teach them well, but it’s just that they have ‘difficult’ characters.
The fact is, I know of kids who are very ‘difficult’ because their parents are hardly there for them.
And I know of parents who really love their kids, devote their time and efforts in educating and disciplining them themselves, but the kids are just somehow born with rather ‘challenging’ characters and temperament.
If I were to choose a better situation out of the two, I would choose the latter because at least the parents DO try their very best in loving, teaching, educating and disciplining the chidren.
>> I’m thankful to GOD for the privilege to raise my two kids myself, teaching them what’s right and showering them with the love and attention ALL children surely long for.
>> I realise that there’s a limit to how much I can teach my kids. I can educate, influence and teach them ‘more fully’ only in their first years. As they grow up, go to school and have their own circle of friends, I realise ‘bad company’ can ‘corrupt good characters‘.
I know my time with the kids is limited. And when they grow up, it’d be up to God’s mercy, guidance and grace.
As parents, we continually pray for Anya and Vai, for I can really say that the kind of persons they’ll become later on in life will rest in God’s hands.
As for the two kids in the playground, I do feel sympathetic towards them.
And perhaps, if I see them again at the playground, I’d frankly like to talk to them, get to know them a little better (after checking that Anya and Vai are safe and sound at all times of course).
After all, every child craves for love, understanding and attention.
