Does this look like the face of a bully?
Believe it, or not, this angelic face does not stop Safiyah from straight bum-rushing other children. Despite appearances, it has become abundantly clear that Safiyah is a bit of a bully
I have to admit, that I was quite surprised the first time I saw Safiyah snatch a toy from Salimah. Safi’s cousin Salimah, who is a mere four months her junior, is often the victim of her bullying. My sister, Salimah’s mother, joked that Salimah gets in a defense stance anytime Safiyah’s name is mentioned. Yikes!
With the most innocent of looks, Safiyah takes other children’s toys; snatches, and quickly throws their pacifiers; and gives “hugs” to the point of suffocation. On one occasion, I saw her literally mount another child, squealing in sheer delight, as she attempted to ride the little girl like a donkey! Quickly rushing to release the child from Safi’s grasp, I embarrassingly wore a shocked look on my face, to suggest that I was surprised by her behavior. Unfortunately, I’d seen it all before.
Like any parent, I have to wonder, where is this coming from? Is this truly aggression? Is she just overly excited to interact with other kids? Does she not know her own strength? Unfortunately, I haven’t figured out the answer. But what’s most amazing about Safi’s brutish ways is the complete look of surprise on her face when she’s reprimanded.
I continue to remind her to “be gentle”, “no snatching”, “no touching”, but how realistic is that for a 1 ½ year old? Safi’s even been introduced to the world of Time Out, which was surprisingly working well, until I saw that she was putting herself in Time Out. I gave her a snack the other day and she nicely walked over to the time out corner and sat down to eat.
Believe it, or not, this angelic face does not stop Safiyah from straight bum-rushing other children. Despite appearances, it has become abundantly clear that Safiyah is a bit of a bully
I have to admit, that I was quite surprised the first time I saw Safiyah snatch a toy from Salimah. Safi’s cousin Salimah, who is a mere four months her junior, is often the victim of her bullying. My sister, Salimah’s mother, joked that Salimah gets in a defense stance anytime Safiyah’s name is mentioned. Yikes!
With the most innocent of looks, Safiyah takes other children’s toys; snatches, and quickly throws their pacifiers; and gives “hugs” to the point of suffocation. On one occasion, I saw her literally mount another child, squealing in sheer delight, as she attempted to ride the little girl like a donkey! Quickly rushing to release the child from Safi’s grasp, I embarrassingly wore a shocked look on my face, to suggest that I was surprised by her behavior. Unfortunately, I’d seen it all before.
Like any parent, I have to wonder, where is this coming from? Is this truly aggression? Is she just overly excited to interact with other kids? Does she not know her own strength? Unfortunately, I haven’t figured out the answer. But what’s most amazing about Safi’s brutish ways is the complete look of surprise on her face when she’s reprimanded.
I continue to remind her to “be gentle”, “no snatching”, “no touching”, but how realistic is that for a 1 ½ year old? Safi’s even been introduced to the world of Time Out, which was surprisingly working well, until I saw that she was putting herself in Time Out. I gave her a snack the other day and she nicely walked over to the time out corner and sat down to eat.
So much for that.
As offensive and embarrassing as Safi’s behavior may be, I have to accept that she is a growing toddler who is exploring, learning and testing limits. I remember how annoying it was when Safiyah was obsessed with dropping her cup from the table, just to hear the sound it made as it hit the floor. In this new annoying stage, Safi is learning how to interact with others. Unfortunately, in this battle, there are some minor casualties.
I hope this is one of the many phases that everyone promises me that Safiyah will outgrow. In the meantime, I know Salimah for one, is bracing herself for the impact.
As offensive and embarrassing as Safi’s behavior may be, I have to accept that she is a growing toddler who is exploring, learning and testing limits. I remember how annoying it was when Safiyah was obsessed with dropping her cup from the table, just to hear the sound it made as it hit the floor. In this new annoying stage, Safi is learning how to interact with others. Unfortunately, in this battle, there are some minor casualties.
I hope this is one of the many phases that everyone promises me that Safiyah will outgrow. In the meantime, I know Salimah for one, is bracing herself for the impact.
4 comments:
I am going to ask our 2 yr specialist at the school what this behavior is about.
Her antics remind me of some of my older learned lawyer friends in court...
Love your blog! Is it okay if I add it to my blogroll?
I'd be honored DeliberateLiterare!! Thanks for stopping by! And your wedding pics are gorgeous, by the way!
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