Child Behaving Badly?

We just moved into to a garden apartment complex and our immediate neighbors have a little boy who plays with another boy his age (they are 4), the other boy also lives in the complex. The friend just stuck his tounge at me when I was walking into my apt and gave me a raspberry (I think that's what its called)...his mother was right there and did nothing. Also when we were moving in, this same little boy yelled at my DH and told him to GO AWAY, GO AWAY!!! We didn't make anything of it at all. But in the past two weeks, I always hear the mom begging him to do things as if HE is running the show.

I didn't do anything or acknowledge his raspberry-ing me... If this happens again, what can I do? I know he's just a child, but don't you think the mom should have told him not to do that to me, or apologized?? If that was my child, I would be very embarrassed and apologized. But,I don't have kids yet, so maybe I'm overeacting

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As a mother I would be upset my child did this and repromand (sp?) him and make him apologize.
3-4 is a VERY difficult age with boys (I am learning!). I never had the problems I do with my daughter at the same age.

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as a mother, i would MAKE him apologize and i would be very embarrassed. i would also apologize for my child.

this is a sticky situatiion. if you say/do anything, the mom is likely to become VERY defensive. the only thing i can think of is: next time it happens (because there WILL be a next time), tell the child he isn't supposed to do that, but use a really sweet voice (almost the "baby voice" we use when goo-ing at babies).

hth

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I was afraid that I was going to find out there WILL be a next time. I just dont want to be on weird terms with any of my neighbors...I'll try doing that babyvoice and see how it works, but I think for the time being Im gonna try to avoid him/them.

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I don't think the mother needed to apologize. Kids will be kids. However, she definately should have reprimanded him. Sounds like that kid IS running the show.

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I would ignore him, sounds like he is looking for the attention and if you give in, it will just make it worse.

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Give him a rasberry back!!! I think he is just being cheeky!!! Thats kids for ya!

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My younger son will be 4 next week and he has been rude to random strangers in the past - scowling or sticking out his tongue or what not. Now - any time that it has happened I have personally apologized to the person he may have offended and have reprimanded him. I know my kid and trying to get him to apologize would just make the situation worse.

A few months ago he stuck his tongue out at an old lady in the supermarket when she told him he was cute. I started to apologize and she told me not to worry about it because she wasn't and would never be offended by the insults of a small child. Then she stuck her tongue back at him! It was awesome and it made me feel great that she wasn't there judging my parenting skills!

It is weird that the mother didn't reprimand him though. It could be that she didn't see it - or that the child has some handicap and she has to choose her battles wisely when it comes to reprimands. My niece is mentally handicapped. She is highly functioning - but when she was a baby - any angry or negative tone of voice would lead to a high pitched squealing until she LITERALLY exhausted herself and fell asleep.

I am glad you have decided to take his 'insults' with a grain of salt. You can't get yourself bothered over the behavior of someone elses child.

Re: Child Behaving Badly?