Justice?

So we're out on the playground this afternoon..the usual shenanigans from the usual suspects.

Stevie climbed up one of the climbing walls, it has holes in it for hands/feet. He swarmed up that thing like he'd been drinking caffeine. ZOOM.

He made it to the top and then couldn't get down.

"Waaaaah!! I'm stuck!! HELP MEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"

I walked over to him.

"Stevie, if you climbed up, you can get down. Here, put your foot on this spot."

I tried to guide his foot down. He wasn't having it.

"Noooooo!!"

"Dude. Do you want to just live up there? Let me help you."

He didn't want me to help. He kicked at my hand.
"Leemeelone!"

I assumed he meant 'leave me alone' so I did. I walked away, saying, "Let me know when you need help and you actually want my help."
Then he cried again.

He stayed at the top of the climbing wall for a good 15 minutes. He didn't cry the entire time, just most of it. A monotonous drone punctuated by several more cries of "leemeelone!" when the other kids tried to help. He's a contrary little kid.

Finally Kaysie talked him down. One small step for a boy, one giant leap for mankind.

Then, James was chasing Will. Part of the game they were playing. They'd been chasing for a few minutes, tagging each other then going the other direction. So there was no reason for Will to be pissed off, except of course that he's Will and that's what he does.

I saw James tag him, then Will turned and slapped James in the side of the head. Dropped him to the ground.

So I said, "Will! You do NOT get to hit ..." and of course he interrupted me with, "Well he.." and then I interrupted HIM with, "I didn't ask you what he did. Come sit down,let's figure this out."

For the next ten minutes or so, every time I tried to talk with him, he started out by scream-whining at me with that high-pitched voice that could melt glass, "Well he.."

And then I would say, "I can tell you're not ready to talk yet. When you're ready to talk to me without yelling at me, I'll be back. You let me know when."

We finally did talk, just in time for us to go in. He agreed that there hadn't been a reason for him to hit James, he just got mad and slapped. He agreed that it wasn't fair to James, apologized to him and we made our way back to the building.

Later, after we finished reading/homework time, James and Will were playing with the Bionicles. I always listen in as much as possible, there's a lot going on in our little room with 14 kids. They were arguing over a piece of Bionicle. I should tell you that there are at LEAST 48 different Bionicles in that bin, and no reason I know of to fight over the stuff, but it's Will and James. They worked it out, both were building their respective warriors.

I looked over in time to see James stand up, swing open-handed at Will and smack him in the side of the head/ear.

Will, instead of doing what he usually does, which is pile on and start whaling on James, jumped up, highly offended.

He ran to me, yelling, "James hit me for no reason!"

"How do you like it?" I asked him. He stopped.

"Huh?"

"How do you like it when someone slaps you for no reason?"

"Well it hurt!!"

"I'm sure it did. I will talk to James. Are you okay?"

"Yes," he said grudgingly, rubbing his left ear.

"And this is what we were talking about earlier. Slapping people doesn't make things better, does it?"

Now inside, I was snickering. Neither one of them were really hurt, and I'm guessing the head-whapping they do won't even take a break for a day, they'll be back at it tomorrow, pissing each other off and slapping each other.

But it did make me laugh a little.
Yes, I'm a jerk.

But the most effective way I know to show a bully or mean kid how it feels is for the instigator to get some of the same medicine. So I can't say I was sad.