I was in elementary school when I met my first "bully".
JL used to push me onto the grass as I walked home from school. I used to come home crying to my mother until she approached his mother and then it stopped.
JL also taught me my first curse word and got me punished.
JL was a creep.
I met other "bullies" in school. They pretended to be my friends one minute and then mean to me the next. Girls are cruel at that age.
Apparently boys can be too.
In the past year since my oldest entered elementary school age I've heard stories of Kindergarten boys being teased on the bus, being made fun of what they eat at snack time and what they choose to play with at "free choice" time. I've heard them make fun of the way kids talk and the way kids run.
I remember the heartache I felt when my, so called friends invited me over only to be mean to me when I was there. This comes back to me clearly as I hear about things going on in my own child's school. My oldest; as you know, has some developmental delays. I worry that if he comes in contact with a, not so nice child, he may be the object of ridicule. With this thought, my heart aches. I know this is part of growing up. I know children need to deal with these heartaches along the way and I can only hope that I'm instilling good values in my own boys. With my older son, I fear he may not speak up if he is getting teased. I fear he will not come home to tell me or a teacher and will keep this sadness inside of him. My youngest is much more vocal and assertive. It's funny that I dont worry as much for him.
I try to teach my children that all people are different. Hair color, size, and shape. Some may walk differently, some may talk differently. You dont need to like everyone and you dont need to be everyone's best friend but it is important to be nice and respectful to everyone.
It's as simple as treat others as you would like to be treated.
I wish, and hope, all parents are doing the same at home.
Parenting is by far the hardest, most challenging yet most rewarding job we can have. We want so much for our children. Let's hope that being a star athlete at the age of six doesn't get priority on teaching your child how to be respectful to others.
JL used to push me onto the grass as I walked home from school. I used to come home crying to my mother until she approached his mother and then it stopped.
JL also taught me my first curse word and got me punished.
JL was a creep.
I met other "bullies" in school. They pretended to be my friends one minute and then mean to me the next. Girls are cruel at that age.
Apparently boys can be too.
In the past year since my oldest entered elementary school age I've heard stories of Kindergarten boys being teased on the bus, being made fun of what they eat at snack time and what they choose to play with at "free choice" time. I've heard them make fun of the way kids talk and the way kids run.
I remember the heartache I felt when my, so called friends invited me over only to be mean to me when I was there. This comes back to me clearly as I hear about things going on in my own child's school. My oldest; as you know, has some developmental delays. I worry that if he comes in contact with a, not so nice child, he may be the object of ridicule. With this thought, my heart aches. I know this is part of growing up. I know children need to deal with these heartaches along the way and I can only hope that I'm instilling good values in my own boys. With my older son, I fear he may not speak up if he is getting teased. I fear he will not come home to tell me or a teacher and will keep this sadness inside of him. My youngest is much more vocal and assertive. It's funny that I dont worry as much for him.
I try to teach my children that all people are different. Hair color, size, and shape. Some may walk differently, some may talk differently. You dont need to like everyone and you dont need to be everyone's best friend but it is important to be nice and respectful to everyone.
It's as simple as treat others as you would like to be treated.
I wish, and hope, all parents are doing the same at home.
Parenting is by far the hardest, most challenging yet most rewarding job we can have. We want so much for our children. Let's hope that being a star athlete at the age of six doesn't get priority on teaching your child how to be respectful to others.
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