Punched in the crotch, the new hello?

I do not like 3 and 4 year olds.

I shouldn't say that, there are plenty of 3 and 4 year olds that I'm quite fond of and would willingly spend time with. I am not fond of some 3 and 4 year olds. There, that's better.

Working with children gives me a kind of joy and satisfaction that I never had in other jobs. Kids are funny, man. And they're interesting, and they ask good questions that make you think, although often not on purpose. Most of the time kids will undoubtedly think you are the coolest thing since sliced bread just because, and their smile can often make you smile. Way back when I hated my old school and I hated even walking into the building, it was the kids that made me stick it out and keep on trucking every day. Those were cool kids and I miss them.

But some kids just make you go hmmm. They have runny noses and other leaky body parts, they don't respect your personal space, and they punch you in the crotch not once but twice, all with a smile on their faces. The same child excitedly punched me in the crotch today and didn't say a word afterward. Is this the new hello? I'm so confused. Another child was groping and manhandling his friend, and when I told him that we don't touch others his simple reply was, "Yes we do, my mom said we do." He said it with such conviction that I really had to question myself, like wait, maybe we do? I don't like it when kids make me feel confused, that is not supposed to happen.

My mom would say that this is just preparing me for the time that I have my own children, and I would agree that it is, but I certainly hope my own children don't punch me in the crotch.