I Should Have Said Something...Or Not
Tonight we went grocery shopping. By we, I mean me, hubby, and little man. We had just gotten our cart, little man was pushing it of course, and we headed to the first aisle. As we walked along, I heard a couple of young men walking behind us. They were having a conversation of which I was not interested in. Until I heard it. You know, the big one. The F Bomb. Not once, not twice, not even 3 times, but every other word. I can't even tell you what the conversation was about. All I kept hearing was that word.
Ok, now don't get the wrong idea. I use the F Bomb, I say other 4-letter words. I do not, however, say them in front of children, or in the grocery store for others to hear. I most certainly dont purposely say them in front of my son.
My mind was reeling as I was listening to him talk. I wanted so badly to turn around and say something. I wasn't going to say something rude, or smart. Just simply ask him to clean up his language if he was going to continue to walk behind my family. I opened my mouth to say it, but I couldn't. I was afraid of the confrontation. I was afraid he would spout off, or be rude to me, or start a battle of words in front of my son. So I turned around and shot him a dirty, mom-type look. It went completely over his teenage head and soon they turned into a different aisle.
We continued our shopping. All the while I was thinking. Should I have said something? As a mom, should I have stood up for my right to walk thru the grocery store with my son without hearing the F Bomb? Would it have been worth it? He could have made it so much worse even if I had asked him politely to watch his mouth. Or did I wuss out? I am so mad at myself. I am still wondering as I type this if I made the right decision.
Its just...people these days. I mean, where is the respect?? Could those boys not see my little man pushing the cart just feet in front of them? What is wrong with society that I am afraid to stand up for my family, for fear of engaging in a war with a teenage boy? I wish I had the answers. Darn it, I'm still not sure I did the right thing.
posted by Julie @ 8:29 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
I tell people to stop cussing, quiet down at movie theaters, quit pushing kids at the playground, etc all the time anymore. I'm adopting the world and treating everybody like my kids.
As much as I would like to, I don't think I would have said anything either. You never know what these kids are capable of. Talking like that shows their mentality level. Better to just walk away from the situation and explain to your son what was going on. Afterall, he'll come across it again when he gets older, I'm sure.
Thank you for sharing this with the Carnival of Family Life.
I think it's ok to speak up when there is a child involved, especially your child. Tact is the key, you aren't going to get any where by acting like a grumpy old person, but maybe if you are excruciatingly polite, and ask them in a nice way, I bet they would have been extremely embarrassed. I don't think it's ever wrong to step in whe a child is involved, and I would hope that if my daughters ever act that way in front of a child (I hope not), that some one says something. Sometimes I wish we could go back to the "it takes a village" mentality.
I wouldn't say anything to them, but rather to my daughter to let her know that they are a bad example. I am afraid of confrontation.
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