And the neighborhood drama begins anew. There is this angel-faced little boy with a lot of problems who tends to provoke the other children, and cries foul when people do not want to spend time with someone who speaks or treats them in an unkind way.
It is all of impossible not to sometimes feel antipathy for this child. And yet, he is still just a child. I am more afraid of who he will become than who he is, if he follows the trajectory he is on. He knows no limits and is left alone outside for hours at a time without supervision. He is seven.
Sure, it's not crazy to be unsupervised for a bit when one is outside on a cul de sac with the babysitters and stay at home mamas on patrol. We always need to know where our children are, even and especially if they are out of earshot.
We all watch out for each other on this street. But I feel sorry for the little boy who has such a hard time playing with others. I want him to be happy, but not at the expense of my children's feelings. And who is watching him?
What a dilemma. I've coached my kids about what to say to someone when they're teasing or being rude or, more accurately, talking smack about them. But it is so very hard for my own children to stand up to this child, to take the power back from him. They are working hard at it, and they are trying to be tolerant, but everyone has a breaking point, including this little boy. And that's what scares me.
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