There's a rite of passage that, as a new mom, you may not know you'll have to inevitably experience. It will happen, though. Your sweet little baby will be the victim of some kid's mean streak, either at the playground, at daycare, or in the school yard, and you'll be bombarded with a slew of thoughts that probably (usually) shouldn't be repeated. Yes, there are things every mom thinks when a kid is mean to her kid, and most of them aren't all that pretty.
I know that, as parents, we are supposed to help our kids negotiate the challenging parts of growing up, especially when it comes to learning to interact with others. That means teaching them about respect, and respect means non-violence, among many other things. Still, I dare you not to feel at least a little bit violent when you find out your kid has been bullied or picked on, in any way. It's pretty much impossible. Those innate, maternal reactions kick in and suddenly you're having to remind yourself that violence isn't the answer and you're an adult human, not a lioness in the Serengeti.
So yes, these are all things that will go through your head when another kid is mean to yours, but that doesn't mean you should be saying these things in front of your kid (or to the kid that is doing the bullying). It's one of the things that makes parenting hard; going against your instincts to protect your offspring at all costs and, instead, teaching them how to be better humans. It may not be what we want to do, but it's what will help make the world a better place.
So, with that being said, here are eight things every mom can't help but think when a kid is being mean to her kid: