Pickin' Fights with a Baby

At the library, a little boy about 5 years old walked over to Baby J and started shaking a cool, red, plastic toy car back and forth to get her attention. Once she took notice of the car, he lifted it high over his head so she couldn't reach and then smiled as she stretched her hands upward and moaned.

It was a cruel gesture but not all that uncommon in young kids. I interceded to cut off any sort of meltdown that might ensue. The little boy looked at me and told me my baby was sad. I said she was and moved her away. A few moments later, the boy with the red car came back and did his little routine again. Baby J once again was left reaching and moaning.

This kid was clearly out to pick a fight with my baby and eventually she did hit him. To this he said, "she can't knock me down because I'm too big." I agreed and took Baby J up into my arms. We found another part of the library where there were no bullies to tease my baby but I was left to ponder why this little boy was trying to piss off Baby J. I guess it's some sort of developmental thing where he was just trying to exercise power over someone else. I'm sure Baby J will do it when she's older. I'm pretty sure I did it when I was a wee tot as well. Perhaps it's just human nature to pick fights.

I got into a lot of fights when I was a kid. Unlike the boy with the red car, however, I didn't have enough sense to pick these fights with babies. I would have won a lot more fights that way.