[tryingtobeme]

What do you do when your child is being bullyed by someone else's kids (yes their 3 kids) and the parents could care less? My son is only 2 1/2.

Since your child is only 2 1/2, I'd simply just not keep him around these other children.

[tryingtobeme]

This is happening at my church and during church functions. My son only sees the kids at church. I wouldn't let him be around them since these kids do not behave at all. The parents could care less. Give a time out and their kids go right back to doing it and they just let them go then.

[mgran]

I would make it clear to them that the bullying was causing you and your child distress, and I would then say that it would be a pity if you were forced to leave the church over it. I've left churches in the past because of unChristian behaviour like this. Your poor kid. And what rotten parents. They need to know that their behaviour (because this is the parents' fault, not the children's) makes them hypocrites. How can they stand there on a Sunday, talking about loving your neighbour, honouring God, serving Christ if they allow their children to behave like little monsters?

But I'm afraid to say that if they're the kind of self righteous bigots I take them for, they won't believe there's anything their children could possibly do wrong, and they'll justify their own indolence. I'm really sorry... tell the pastor what's going on, and that you will both be forced to leave the church if nothing is done about it. Perhaps he could speak on your behalf. Or separate the kids into different groups, if the bullies are in a different age group to your poor little son.

I'm fuming. I hate this kind of thing.

[wing]

In my experience, the child care people in churches know very little about kids. Usually its just a couple of teenagers. If yours is where the childcare is rotated among adults, then I would be especially angry that the behavior wasn't being dealt with. Are these kids actually seeking your son out to torment, or are they taking things from him without being taught to share, pushing him of line, etc? A lot of 2-3 yr olds have simply not learned to share...and that is the parents' responsibility. The childcare people should be following up.

Changing churches might help, but but so many of the problems are universal, unless you switch to somewhere smaller where the kids get more individual attention.
If the parents don't care, and the childcare people don't care, then that might be your only option to try.

[tryingtobeme]

I'm sorry guys. I am so upset about this to really answer questions. When I calm down a bit I will revisit this. I will continue to read what you say though. I can't stop crying. I saw my pastor and basically I feel I'm being blamed for not watching my kids every second when mine is the one being hit, pushed, bullied.

[wing]

((((((((((tryingtobeme and son)))))))))))

[zbmom]

I would keep him away from the other children, even if this means you have to watch him every second and not be able to relax as much. I would also ask other trusted friends in the church to keep an eye out for unacceptable behavior. If you can get other parents on board with correcting the naughty kids and protecting your child it will make the environment safer.

And don't feel afraid to discipline the children hurting your child. You have a right to speak up and say "Do not hit, hitting hurts and it's not OK", etc. If their parents give you any flack about it let them know that your child's right to be safe trumps their kids right to misbehave.

[Justme_55]

I consider myself a great mother; except i am at my wits end in the repremanding department, ive cleared his toys, taken away sweets, done time outs nothing worked! Then my friend made a point, I say this because my child was the bully to other kids, kids learn from one another more then us. I know that it's not conducive to progress coming from a parent but for my 3 year old who somedays is SO TERRIBLE and tends to attempt to bully ME I made him aware that if he try's to hit or kick kids in school that he
will probably get hit back and realize it isn't acceptable behavior as well as have no
friends. Well during a school meet & greet my bully bull headed 3 year old found the school bully and started playing, this boy reached over and punched him in the arm, where my son punched him back, the other childs mother & I let it go on for a minute watching and after a few good body punches in on eachother they looked at eachother and realized it was absolutely redundant as well as hurt. They made up, continued to play trucks with one another as well as socialized with the other kids without an issue. As a parent you want to protect you're child as well as show them their actions are not always wise; no matter what I tried my son did not learn until he got punched back by a peer. Boys will be boys; I've never hit my child or Hurt him, he has not once witnessed physical violence it seemed it was a stage which from talking to other moms is more common then not, you're kiddo may go through it also. I hope it all works out.

[Justme_55]

P.S. 3 is worse then two & I hear 5 gives you a run for you're money, it's only begun!!