Bullys are everywhere...

My son is playing basketball each Saturday on a team made up of kids from schools all over Durham. As I sat watching him this morning, I had to wonder if I was the only parent there who had taught my son to be respectful of others. Before the game began, he sat there with his ball, and one of the other boys on his team just grabbed the ball from him and sat on it. The coach did nothing--the boys father must have seen it happen from across the room--I certainly did--and both grown men did nothing. I asked my son afterward if next time I could come over and bounce that ball on the boy's head! My son acted shocked and said, "no!" I'm sure it would embarrass him, but he is not the one I'd like to embarrass--I'd like to wake up the coach and the father--since the boy obviously is not getting the message himself. Maybe they are both bullies, too. It is so hard to know how to help my son stand up for himself without embarrassing him in the process. I want to protect him, yet I need to help him learn to take care of himself, too. It's hard being a mom to a boy, sometimes.