Won't You Be My Neighbour?

Today was a good day! I am taking time to recognize this before I write my post for the day! The weather was good, and the kids got to play outside. It really makes such a difference on all our moods with fresh air coming in the windows, and the summer sun shining down on our faces! Even my cat was running from window to window taking in the breeze and watching all the birds flying by playfully!

With the good weather comes kids playing in the streets and in each others backyards and each others houses. I enjoy listening to them play, hearing their laughter and watching their imaginations bloom!
But with the good does come the bad, and without fail there is going to be tears, as they all need to get used to each other again after the snows melts, and they emerge from the winter months.

Last week we had our first of what I am sure will be many fights with the neighborhood children, that spilled over to the parents. A fun game of tag turned into a dare game... the girls...vs boys, and that the girls would do what the boys said and then in the return. 

Of coarse at the heart of the problem....my Benjamin. The girls were told that they would be kissing the boys if they got tagged....Ben however felt that one of the girls was told  that he was in love with her....he freaked out and told the boy who said it to take it back or he would tell a hurtful secret that he knew about him...the boy refused and ran in the house.

Sure enough as has happened before, I receive a call from the Father's boy, saying the Benjamin threatened with "Blackmail" if his child didn't do what he wanted, and that this kind of "regime" was unacceptable. In shock of what Ben was being accused of, I simply said I would talk to Ben about it and would certainly ensure he new it was not ok to threaten anyone.

After I got off the phone however, I was not a happy Momma Bear!  I tried to control my feeling of outrage and hurt, but I just couldn't and felt that our neighbor had crossed the line.  In fact his son was the one that was in the wrong and that my child with AUTISM was doing the only thing he and ANY child would do after being embarrassed in front of a girl and other peers.  So I marched over to his house...and although I was emotional, I asked to speak with him.
I expressed how I felt, that after 4 years of getting to know our family and our child, I would hope he would know how hurtful calling Ben a blackmailer and a regime ruler would be.  That he being a 10 year old boy with a social disorder, would not have the careful planning ability to blackmail,..nor would he even know what that was...ridiculous. If anything he was reacting to the situation his child created.
We talked things over and agreed that at times we as parents over react, and that we need to ensure we maintain a good relationship with open communication. After all, this isn't the first nor will it be the last time our children will say or do something inappropriate, as they are children.  I am so tired of reminding adults of this.

So Mr. Rogers neighbourhood? Not even close.