“Actually, two boys wrestling on the lawn is perfectly fine IMHO. I didn’t notice any fists flying or any blood.”
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Omgosh. Reading that bit of your ping brought forth a memory! Years ago I ran errands and left my beloved husband in charge of the two boys. When I got home I asked innocently how things went. My beloved husband provided details how my youngest son, aged 8, maybe 9, wouldn’t leave his older brother alone. He brother was two years older. Joseph, the older brother was an extreme laid back boy, almost a Pacifist by nature. Well, the younger brother stepped over the line and the next thing my beloved knows is the younger brother ran out into the front room, to stand behind the easy chair where my beloved was sitting reading a manual. Joseph calmly came out and pulled his younger brother back into their bedroom and settled the argument in a boy-to-boy talk.
I asked if there was bloodshed and was told not one drop and that the younger brother quieted down and behaved. I guess the younger brother had again mistaken his older brother’s quiet nature for cowardice. His older brother had given him multiple quiet warnings and when his younger brother insisted on trying to be King Of The Hill he had to be shown he wasn’t the King.
We classified it as a learning experience. Took several more events like that before my younger son accepted the fact that he needed to respect my older boy. We’d tried the talks, the groundings, the monetary fines, everything. It took my older boy taking things into his own hands, so to speak!
Sorry about the long story. It’s just I can still see my husband’s expression as he described the scene of my older son calmly dragging his brother by his feet (!) backwards into their bedroom! Both boys were fine when I peeked in on them, playing as if nothing had happened while I was gone!
LOL
Yup - boys WILL be boys. Oh, and girls WILL be girls.
One thing I don’t understand (not really) is why do girls get away with their sexual harassment? Men are “triggered” (to use one of their own terms) when women have their clothes tight, short, low, etc. What about women spending big bucks on having those giant silicone chests? What is that for, if not to get men looking? Cleavage, short shorts, mini-skirts, high, tight boots, etc. Why isn’t that considered visual sexual harassment? It seems to me that women can do no wrong and men can do no right these days.