Mama Bear

I have learned yet another thing in my 4 years of being a mom. No one messes with my kids. Now, let me clarify by saying I am not the mom who comes to their rescue, say, at the park. I generally like to let them work it out or at least try. This is not what I mean. What I mean is when adults make judgments or comments I am not quiet about it. Let me share an example. Today we were at Walgreen's to pick up a few things. Haley was walking next to me while Ry was in the cart. I was looking at cards and Haley was next to the cart. An older woman said, "excuse me," Haley moved out of her way and the woman snarled and said something about "ridiculous" under her breath. When things like this happen I stay very calm, but I am not able to keep quiet. I simply replied. "it's ok. She's just a kid." And she retaliated with, "It is not easy for me to walk!" I calmly replied with, "Ok. But you said excuse me and she moved. There is no reason to react that way." We both moved on. This has probably happened half a dozen times since becoming a mother. When it does, I feel my demeanor change but I do want to be a good model of how to react to people. I know my children aren't saints and I think that we are pretty clear with our expectations for behavior. If they get called out on something that is unacceptable, I am the first one to deal with the issue with them. But I do have difficulty with people who are simply impatient with children for no reason. That's when I feel like Mama Bear protecting her cubs. I thought I was more easy going than that...guess not!