My groupies (small gang of three boys) called for me at 4.30pm to go on the bike ride. I put my yellow vest on and they all laughed. Well I don't want to get knocked off my bike by someone who didn't see me. I asked where we were going, and suggested Normanby, Thealby, Alkborough, or Coleby perhaps. None of them, too far they said, so we went off to the playing fields. I don't think these boys have ever had any proper cycle training, they were doing wheelies all over the road, I declined their invitation to join in. Not that I can even do a wheelie but I didn't tell them that.
Eventually we got to the playing fields after going up and down a few pavements, and across the village green. Next to it is the childrens play area. Ooh goody, swings and slides I joked, as I made a beeline for the best swing. One of them took a photo of me with his phone, goodness knows where that will end up. We went on everything. I nearly did my back in as I hurtled down the slide at a rate of knots. The seesaw was a bit erratic, they tried to bump it so I would fall off, but my legs are longer than theirs so they didn't succeed.
After that we road across the playing field to the other side, where there is a wooden assault course. You have to balance on logs, and walk across a rope ladder, and a wobbly bridge, and swing across on ropes like a monkey. I thought this was good fun, but they didn't want to join in. Instead I saw they were mucking about.
I turned round to see that one boy had opened up one of my panniers and he was pouring water over my saddle and into the pannier. They were all giggling but I was not amused. So I spat my dummy out and said I wasn't playing any more, and went home in a strop. Why do stupid boys have to go and spoil everything. Think I'm going to start a girl gang :o)
that's funny...........
ReplyDeleteGill in Canada
i thought it was funny also!well you did have some fun!
DeleteKids these days. No respect whatsoever. Not like our day, when kids were.. kids. I'm glad it was mostly fun though. Til your temper tantrum! :-)
ReplyDeleteWell at least it was only water.
ReplyDeleteThat will teach you not to knock around with younger men! (says she, who is married to someone 9 years younger LOL)
ReplyDeleteThat's not funny at all. It's disrespectful and yobbish. You did the right thing clearing off and leaving the little perishers.
ReplyDeleteDo you want some seeds Ilona?
ReplyDeleteHow old are these children?
ReplyDeleteBoys smell like cabbage ..start a girl gang!
ReplyDeleteJane x
Don't mess around with these boys again. They are up to no good. They may target you or your house for worse treatment. Besides, silly as it may sound, you don't want to be seen going around with them. You have to see--they were physically abusive even though you have longer legs. They are messing around with your property--pouring water into your things.
ReplyDeleteDon't think you can be their friend. They will not give up if you give them the time of day. Stop now! Speak cordially, and keep moving if you see them again.
If you mention this to them, they will see they still have your goat and will try for better things to annoy you and destroy things. They might even target your animals you walk.
Boys do wheelies. Why not? These guys are from 13 to 15, right? Maybe 11.
Mean boys put a W in the dust on my car. I never said a word or acted like I noticed it. At school it stayed dirty. Finally, after a month I finished the W with WASH ME. The girls all giggled and told me while the boys hooted. I said, "Oh, really, I never even look at my car, just get in, drive to school, drive home." I stole their thunder by not caring. I know for a fact that they were going to write WITCH. They had already drawn a mandala that I had smudged a bit each day until it was not recognizable.
If they throw poop in a bag at your door, ignore it. Never mention it. Unless they find another target, you are IT. It is not a nice game. If you do mention poop on your door, only make a report to police and get them to just keep that on file for a record.
Maybe I am wrong. Hopefully, I am wrong.
Adults cannot play with most boy gangs or girl gangs.
I second that!
DeleteIlona, boys that age will see you as game for a laugh, and had only invited you to join their outing to see how much laugh they could generate at your expense. They might well take the piss further, so watch yourself when walking your doggies.
ReplyDeletequinn, I think they are about 9 or 10, maybe just coming up to the end of junior school.
ReplyDeleteIt was just boyish pranks, I was deliberately acting silly to give them a laugh, cause that's how I am. I know they were having a laugh at my expense, I can laugh at myself so that's ok.
Hi Ilona. My my mum (75) helps out at the youth club, some particularly bad kids joined and it was a flippin nightmare trying to keep them in line (they had to be banned in the end but they still kept turning up and hanging around outside, being abusive etc, police had to be called at one point.)
ReplyDeleteAnyway last winter when we had all that ice and snow me, mum and my daughter were walking down the road slipping and sliding everywhere, inching ourselves down. The ring leader of this bad group stood at the bottom of the road smiling and looking all cocky. My heart sank because I thought we were going to be pelted with snow or something. He started making his way slowly towards us shouting "hiya" to my mum (mum was looking very worried because she thought he was still cross for being banned). When he got to us my daughter was clinging onto a lampost refusing to move incase she slipped. He got hold of her hand and slowly walked her to the bottom, she slid a few times but he caught her and pulled her up. He then came back and helped my mum, carrying her bags all the way down to the bottom (without robbing her!lol) Then came back for me! He was quite rough around the edges but clearly a good kid underneath.
I think the problem with young boys is when they get together there is a lot of bravado and egging each other on, trying to impress one another with their attitude. They get very silly and end up crossing boundaries. Getting to know them individually they are often very different kids. Most parents try their best to raise their kids well and would be quite horrified if they could see their childrens behaviour when they get into a group (and some of the girls can be just as bad!) Take care. Debs x
Reading this made me remember that ryhme, what are little boys made of? "slugs and snails and puppy dog tails, that's what boys are made of" ;-D
ReplyDeleteHaving a laugh is one thing, causing damage is another - I just can't see anything remotely funny in pouring water over your saddle and in the paniers, what would their reaction have been ifyou'd have done the same to them I wonder - do you think they'd have shruggerd it off as 'having a laugh' ? you'd probably have been knocked to the ground and pummelled - sorry but I feel very strongly about bad behaviour there's simply no excuse, it can't be put down to 'boys will be boys' or 'they're bored' well I was bored too but I didn't go around causing trouble.
ReplyDeleteThey get away with it simply because they can ........... end of.
Well, we get the children we deserve I guess..........................
ReplyDeleteI'm certain I don't deserve those kinds of kids !and I dont think anyone else does either,I brought mine up decent, with good manners, knowing their place, etc., don't get me wrong, they weren't little goodie goodies, but nothing like todays lot !
ReplyDeleteTrouble is, you cant touch 'em, or say anything to 'em, and they bloomin well know it - that's half the problem, look at all the trouble in schools now, teachers are refusing to teach some of them they are so bad and out of control, bring back corporal punishement say I !!
This begs the question 'are the parents to blame?' - yes, yes, YES !!
Lets face it, most of them aren't even around to see what their little darlings are up to anyway,and lots more don't even care. Ever wondered why you will always see pictures of babies and children on office desks and computers ? it's because the parents will forget what they look like if they don't ! The childminder is more of a parent these days.
This is really a pet hate of mine as you've probably guessed - I'd better get off my soap box now.
I feel as though I'm a part of a large crowd who loves and admires you, and we'd hate to see anything bad happen. Please be exceptionally watchful for the next several days -- and is there a neighbor who could keep an eye on your home when you're away, also for the next few days? I'm from the "once burned, twice shy" school of self-preservation. Take care.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you treat it the way you do Ilona, a lot of your commentors are very concerned for you but I think you have the measure of the boys and will be able to deal with them whatever they do. You probably even know their parents.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Toffeeapple. You live in a village, so I think you'd be able to tell their parents if they did anything wrong to you.
ReplyDeleteSounds like they just got a little bit silly at the end there. I have to disagree with the person who said bring back corporal punishment. I only finished school 5 years ago and I was never rude or disrespectful to my teachers. I didn't need the threat of physical punishment to keep me in line. I do however agree that bad behaviour in kids is a reflection of the parents to some extent, although my sister was naughtier than me at school and we had the same parents!! :D
Quite worried, Ilona, by your most recent post. I'd give them a wide berth if I were you, I agree with all the other comments people have been making. Take care of yourself, Christy
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is 15 and yesterday went to a pool club in the town where youngsters are welcome (which is good because its somewhere for them to "hang out" where there are adults and is not too expensive). My daughter was with three other girls and a boy about the same age and were celebrating one of their 16th birthdays. A group of 8 other girls aged 12 approached them taunted them, surrounded them and verbally abused them. These girls all wore not a lot, were heavily made up with fake tan and false eyelashes. This was in the early afternoon. My daughter and her friends do not want that kind of aggro, they definitely don't want problems with people that much younger than them and just what the @*&%? These girls were asked to leave the pool club by the woman who runs it. This did not stop them later stopping and shoving and swearing at two of my daughter's friends on the way home. Unfortunately the timid two from the group. They probably could sense that. Two of my children have ADHD and Aspergers, I know about problem kids, but still I was more than a little surprised but in truth probably not shocked.
ReplyDeleteWean ur funny!
ReplyDeleteThe kids behavior is the by product of parents that are working all hours to earn as much as poss. They aren't spending time learning everyday life skills or getting proper attention from their parents. God help all our futures.
ReplyDeleteOld post but felt the need to comment! I am going to go against the grain here and say adults can play with children without anything bad happening to anyone! When I could work I spent a long time working with disadvantaged children, the ones who litter, the ones who play jokes on people, the ones who get labels and are thrown out of schools. Most of these kids had no positive adult role models at all to learn anything positive from. They needed adults to make them laugh and interact with them in positive ways while boundaries were kept and yes they learnt from it. Some are adults now with families of their own and are still in touch with me, some call me their second mum and others their cool auntie. Please don;t lock yourself away from children and teenagers Ilona, many of the roughest have the worse life and need a kind, guiding and funny adult the most. Oh, and the best way I found to get through a child's panicked and hostile defences? Make them laugh. I think you did exactly the right thing.
ReplyDelete