An episode of playground self-defense offered an opportunity to help Small listen to her instincts and step up to protect others this week. Yesterday Small and I were noodling around on the computer when she wrote this:“I need help ceeping my friend Corey safe from Leo”A lot of prodding led to this story: When Small and Corey run too close to Leo on the playground, he tells them, “Get away or I’ll kill you with a knife.”Small said, “I think it’s a game because it’s fun.”Then she said, “Corey is really scared.”Then she said, “I’m not sure if it’s a game.”Fortunately, we know Leo and his parents and we think he and they are pretty great. So we weren’t too worried about an impending playground massacre.But the teaching moment was before us. My parenting instincts were clear: