Am I being June Cleaver?

[cklewis]

I've watched that show for years, and I've alway thought, "She is so clueless about boys! I hope I'm not that clueless about boys!!" But maybe I am. . . .

Yesterday was Mommy-Isaac-Adventure Day. Daddy was gone all day, so we had big plans. Started at Hobby Lobby to see the Christmas, then PetSmart, then Target, then the grocery store for him to "drive" the bus cart. We ended at Burger King for lunch, He was pooped by the time we got to the playground at Burger King, but you know, he wouldn't let fatigue slow him down.

There was one other boy there. Probably about 8-9. Big boy who was climbing the poles instead of playing on the equipment. His dad was reading the paper. Isaac (21.5mo) thought he was so fascinating, of course.

But I wasn't so impressed. It seemed to me that maybe the little boy had just been cooped up in the house all morning and had TONS of extra energy that he didn't know what to do with. I wouldn't have minded all the horse play and climbing (that *is* what boys do, isn't it?), but he kept calling Isaac "Juice Boy." :/ Ha. Over and over and over. . . . Then. When I had just said, "Times up. We're going home." Isaac stumbled and fell (very tired baby!). He screamed, of course, and I picked him up and held him close and said, "Wow. That was scary. No wonder you're upset."

All the while that other little boy was hollering, "Cry Baby, Cry Baby, Cry Baby. . . ." He *is* a baby. Shut up! But we just left.

I told Grant the story and said, "If that were my little boy, I would not have let that continue." But maybe I don't get it. Maybe I have this June-Cleaver-esque misunderstanding of boy-dom. What do you all think?

C

[lenswyf]

No. That was just a rude boy who apparently doesn't get much guidance about how people are to treat one another. I know lots of 8-9 yo boys who wouldn't do anything like that.

[rosesnsnails]

I don't think so. It is unacceptable for my boy to climb the poles or riducule others. He has tried to climb the poles and I just tell him they are not for climbing.

Originally Posted by rosesnsnails

It is unacceptable for my boy to climb the poles or riducule others. He has tried to climb the poles and I just tell him they are not for climbing.

Mine also.

I would also think that you may get this kind of behaviour from girls, too.

[inesperada]

That was just a rude boy who apparently doesn't get much guidance about how people are to treat one another.

Ditto. Being a boy doesn't excuse one from common social graces, imo.

That boy was rude. I agree. . . being a boy doesn't excuse rude and socially unacceptable behaviour.

[greenemama]

i've grown up with boys (5 bros) and none of them behaved that way (for long, anyway . . . :ex ).

dh says stuff to the parents and i feel bad but he's right -- because their kids have been unkind to our kids, the parents are the ones responsible. he says nothing to the kids but he says, "your 10 year old daughter just shoved my 3 yo and called him a 'fart' and i don't appreciate that." usually the parents are just clueless doing their own thing and look shocked. the only think about this approach is that i feel bad that the kids are getting spanked or time outs or whatever because dh "turned them in."

but he kept calling Isaac "Juice Boy." Ha. Over and over and over. . .

My 10 yo would have been apologizing to Isaac for the rude comments if he were to do something like that. No, you aren't beng a June Cleaver... she doesn't really exist anyways .

Originally Posted by lenswyf

No. That was just a rude boy who apparently doesn't get much guidance about how people are to treat one another. I know lots of 8-9 yo boys who wouldn't do anything like that.

Me to, my oldest being one of them. He would of helped your son up and asked if he was ok. I would be mortified if my son did that.

[Dana Joy]

it is not june cleaverish or out of touch with boys to assume that they should be kind to one another- there are 6 boys in my home and name calling is not tolerated. (now the fascination with body function- that's a boy thing we haven't been able to escape)
i would have kindly pointed out to the boy- this is issac can you please call him by name and if he didn't then i would tell the dad

[ArmsOfLove]

Well--it was *typical* boy behavior. I'm especially thinking of the climbing up the poles and the physical stuff and, no, I don't believe that was just a product of being cooped up--that is 8-9 yo behavior. And the name calling is common as well. It was also behavior I would have corrected and not allowed.

That boy was rude. I agree. . . being a boy doesn't excuse rude and socially unacceptable behaviour.

I wanted to clarify. . . . yes, sometimes boys do that. But he must be told that this is wrong and hurtful.

[Mother of Sons]

I can't quite picture which poles you mean so I don't know what I'd let my boys do in regards to that, but I wouldn't let name calling continue!

It's not just boys though. I took to McDonald's a month or so ago and he was playing in the tubes. There were 2 little girls there also and he was trying to be friendly but every time he got anywhere near them, they would scream and yell "EWWW a BOOOOOY, get away from us!!!" and run away. came over and said "they don't like me" and I said "They dont' even know you, it doesn't mean they dont' like you" so he runs off and says "My name is !" but they just kept saying the same thing so he gave up but his feelings were hurt. He played by himself but they started calling him names and at one point they were up at the top yelling "Get out of here, we don't want you, go home!" and making faces. We ended up leaving. The girls were younger than 5 and whoever was with them was completely ignoring the whole thing.

ugh, the neighbor kids did that to noah all the time, last year. he would say "hey! im noah!! come play with me!"
and they would just yell NO, go away, your stupid your a baby.

[4LovesMom]

Eek. I don't think you sound like June Cleaver. A couple of yucky situations were described in this thread. I was very UN-June Cleaver at McDonalds once years ago when another child was mean to my son. Not grace-based even one bit. No parent in sight and I corrected the kid myself. I like to think I'd handle it somewhat differently now, but the "Mamma Bear" came out. I wonder if the Beav was being teased by a stranger what June would have done...