When Babies Attack

My nearly six month-old baby was attacked by a two year-old at the park last Saturday. Am I exaggerating? Only a little. I was standing with my son is his stroller watching my older two children play t-ball when a mother I know from our neighborhood approached with her two year-old daughter toddling behind her.

We exchanged "hellos" and "how are yous." I asked how old her little one was now. She asked the same of my baby. Her daughter then reached into my stroller and began to poke and prod my baby with her little hands. She picked up his pacifier and put it in her mouth. She pushed a flower she had picked into his eyes. And then she took her grubby fingers and shoved them into his mouth.

All the while, I was trying to remain polite while also protecting my baby. I tried to block her hands with my own. I said things like, "Careful sweetie." "Gentle." "Oh, I don't think he wants to eat your fingers!"

Never once did this child's mother intervene. Instead she said things like, "Oh, she loves babies and I always let her play with them because she there isn't ever going to be another baby in our house." And "Oh, don't you look funny with the baby's pacifier in your mouth!" But it really killed me when, as I was prying her daughter's fingers out of my crying baby's mouth, she said, "Don't worry. She isn't sick or anything."

Now, as a third-time mom, I am certainly not overprotective. I know that kids will be kids.  My baby gets his fair share of "overloving" at home. If anything, I think that I was actually underprotective in this situation.

I don't mean to make too much of this silly little incident, but I think that there are times when you have to do what you have to do to protect your kids -- even if it makes you the crazy lady at t-ball -- like I am going to be tomorrow morning if that probing toddler comes back for a second round.

An original Chicago Moms Blog post.

Caitlin write about life in Chicago with little ones at Wee Windy City and A Hen and Two Three Chicks.