Jack-A** at the park

SoOOoOo...

We just got back from the park. It was a nice time. What? You're wondering about the title to this post? Well, since you asked...

So I am the first to admit that Asher is a "passionate" kid. He takes playing and toys very seriously, and we have been working really hard on him sharing, and more specifically, not taking toys from people without asking. He's getting there. Although I don't think he is quite grasping the part where you actually wait for an answer, and then abide by what the other kid has said. But we are taking it one day at a time. So, it seems pretty common knowledge, that if you bring toys to the park, kids are going to play with them. I think most people understand this and couldn't care less if another child plays with their child's toys, as long as 1) their kid isn't playing with it, and doesn't want to play with it, and 2) they eventually get it back. I understand this, and am totally fine when kids come to play with our toys, just as most other parents are.

Ok, so we are at this park, right? Asher sees this bat that no one is playing with, so he picks it up and hits his tennis ball with it. I see the dad start coming over asking for the bat back, rather rudely I might add. I was right by Asher, so I took it from him and gave it back to the dad (whose kids by the way, are obliviously playing with cars and chalk... they don't want the bat). Even though I thought he was kind of a stingy jerk, I was like, whatever. So we start playing again. I am standing with Sayer and Asher sees a ball that no one is playing with, so he picks it up to play with it. All of the sudden, this dad gets up and says something like "hey, give me that ball", so Asher, naturally, starts to make a run for it with the ball. Seeing this, I start going over to Asher to retrieve the ball for this jerk-o. But no, the dad starts running after Asher, grabs his arm, makes him fall to the ground, takes the ball away from the now crying Asher, and says while walking away, "well, don't take our stuff." 

CAN. YOU. BELIEVE. THAT?!?? 

I was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ticked. Especially since it was very clear that I was on my way to intervene. There is nothing I hate more than other parents disciplining my child for me. I can take care of it, thanks. I mean, I would expect this from another kid, but not a grown man. I am not one to fight Asher's battles for him... with other kids that is. But ooooh, you give me a grown man/woman that is being nasty to my kid... Unfortunately, I was SEETHING so I couldn't come up with anything to say to him. I just swooped Asher up, gave the man the nastiest face I could muster up, and walked to the grassy area where our stroller and blanket were set up. Ugh, I was seriously disgusted. I was so mad that I called him a jack-a**! And I am not one to swear. Of course it was under my breath and he couldn't hear it, but I wish he could have. 

I went back to our blanket and sat there while the kids were eating lunch, thinking of all the things that I could have/should have said to him. Then I thought, "am I being Christ like?" "What would Jesus do in this situation?" But then I thought, you know what, I bet He would have said something like {in His most sincere and loving, non-judgmental voice} "I am so sorry, it's my fault. I honestly didn't think that a 45 year old man would have trouble sharing with a 3 year old". He is, after all, very protective of His little children... even if they are still learning how to share. ;)