My son punched a guy yesterday! In the face. That got your attention didn't it. How about this... I was proud of him! We all were!
Now keep in mind that Nick isn't a little 5-year old boy that needs to be taught right from wrong. So if you're raising little children and reading this, know right now that this would not be okay in any other scenario and if you're faced in this situation with a little child, use it as an opportunity to teach a life lesson. That's why mistakes happen, so that kids can learn from them.
And they eat pizza - well, pizza cookies anyway
Ok, so back to the punch. Nick KNOWS right from wrong. Boy, does he ever. The kid NEVER does anything wrong. I'm serious. This is a kid that does his homework early. His room is clean. His time management skills are beyond incredible. Yes, he's really a good boy.
Things don't bother Nick. He is the most even-tempered and calm kid you could ever meet. He's also 18 years old, 5'10 and a Black Belt. So... at hockey yesterday we were playing a team with a couple rough players. It happens. It's hockey. Nick gets shoved like the rest of them and it rolls off him. He never cares. Well yesterday this guy shoved Nick pretty rough and then came up on the back of him and Nick turned around and punched the side of his face. I was watching the hockey puck on the other side of the rink, but my daughter, Mellissa - the ever faithful sister, was watching Nick. She grabbed my arm and let out a big scared sound as the kid went after Nick's back. She saw the punch, I didn't. All the grandparents were there. Everyone started asking if they saw what they really saw. It was a shocker. Grandpa Fred has always called Nick "The Enforcer" and he says that now he earned that name ;-)
Both boys were pulled. The other boy got a 5 minute penalty for bad sportsmanship behavior and this was the very ending of the game, so he didn't get to go back in. Nick got kicked out of the game. My Nicky. Kicked out of the game. And yes, I'm proud.
So why, you ask? I'm done teaching Nick. He's learned everything he needs to know and then some about right and wrong. I have NO concerns about Nick's behavior. All I have left to teach this kid is how to treat a girl - which he'll learn in a couple weeks when he goes on his first date to the senior ball. For me, this was my release in knowing that Nick can and will stick up for himself if he has to. He can go to college now.
Oh and if you ask Nick about the punch, he says that it wasn't a punch. It was Nick getting the kid off him. Nothing more. But for us, we'll call him The Enforcer :-)
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YEA Nick!! This is a great post, Cristin!! I saw something like this happen this weekend at my son's soccer game. I am all about kids standing up for themselves!
ReplyDeleteI hope my kids learn to stand up for themselves like that! You did a great job raising your kids and teaching them there is a time and place for everything! And I love the pizza cookies :)
ReplyDeleteWay to go NICK...you rock...nothing wrong with sticking up for yourself....great pizza cookies...fabulous.tfs
ReplyDeleteWay to go Nick! sometimes letting it alone doesn't work. Nicely done! and yes Cristin, you should be proud! love the cookies too!
ReplyDeleteLove the pizza cookies. Nick will do very well on his own through life, on and off the ice :)
ReplyDeleteI say good for Nick! We all have our limits. He will be fine at college. Cristin with a mom like you I think he already knows how to treat a girl :)
ReplyDeleteWay to go Nick!!!
ReplyDeleteI laughed when I read this because my son had the same experience!! But, my son is small, only 5'5" and thin/muscular.
He was on Varsity Gold HS team and everytime his team played a certain HS, this kid would "target" my son. Finally, during one game my son got slammed against the boards by the same kid and my son slammed him back, real hard! They both got thrown out of the game but that kid NEVER bothered my son again! After that incidence, my son became a more aggressive player!!
Now he is in his 1st year of college and is a well liked, popular kid!! He is polite, kind, popular with the girls, but still an aggressive Hockey Player!! LOL!!!!!!!!!
LOVED reading this Karen! Even got a little teary-eyed proud of your son! Wonderful news!
DeleteI forgot to say ... I LOVE your pizza cookies!!!
ReplyDeleteThey are so cute!!!!
Good for Nick! So tired of bad sportsmanship and bully players. There's a time and place to stickup for yourself! Love the pizza cookies too!
ReplyDelete