Wednesday, March 27, 2013

A Bully Zone

Bully.
Defined as: a person who hurts, frightens, or tyrannizes over those who are smaller or weaker.
Also known as second grade girls.
We have encountered a bully.
A second grade girl who screams, gets up in the "too close for comfort" area of personal space, kicks.
At my kid!
WHAT?!
Oh, no you better didn't!
Yes, too much RuPaul on my television these days.
Bullies can also be seen as the girl who one day simply states "you aren't my best friend anymore. So-&-So is."
Real nice kid.

Not only do children these days know how to use an iPad like they were born with it stuck to their right hand, they know how to be mean.
I remember bullying not starting until our classrooms got to the other wing of the school.
5th grade maybe.
Was it happening before that and I just didn't see it?
I can't say I encountered bullying until that stage in school.
I was bullied in another way starting in about 4th grade.
I was Cathy Smith's boyfriend gopher.
Cathy- "Go ask him if he likes me."
Me- "Yes, he does and he wants to go with you."
Cathy- "Tell him yes, I will be his girlfriend."
Me- "Cathy says meet her behind the Catholic school at 3:30."
No one ever wanted to meet me behind anything.
Ever.

The bullies that Zoe has to deal with really hurt my heart.
She doesn't need to deal with this crap.
Recess and lunch have become her most stressful time of the day.
She needs to find true friends.
Friends that don't yell or who won't hide behind the yeller without defending Zoe.
Friends who aren't wishy-washy about their feelings toward her.
Was it more exciting to be her friend when she was solely known as "the sick girl?"
Now that's she able to join in and isn't the center of attention as much, she must not be that exciting.
I've told her that I am confidant that there are girls at school who will be genuine friends.
Who won't be there one day and gone the next.
She needs to find those girls and stick with them for now on.
I also asked her if their are any gays boys at school.
She said no and I reassured her that they are indeed there.
They just don't know it yet.
Gay boys make the BEST best friends forever.

6 comments:

  1. This breaks my heart! Camryn came home last week and said that a classmate told her that Camryn embarrassed her on the bus because she is so weird. I wanted to cry for her. It is definitely starting much earlier, in part because so many parents are bullies! Thank you for sharing this and bringing it to light in our little community!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sorry that you have to go through this. I am glad that Zoe has a mom she who knows her so well that you know all these details. So glad she has soft place to land after all day facing junk like this. :( Keep on teaching and showing her the qualities she is looking for in a good friend...you are doing a great job.

    Hugs for you friend.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I don't remember it being this hard way back when we were in school. Yeah, I got bullied around 4th grade for a short time until my mama went in and took care of it. :) Kids can be VERY mean....Keep working hard at it, mama! "Gay boys make the BEST best friends forever". :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. So sorry :-(
    Agree she is lucky to have a mom who will always be there for her and have "her back."
    Some people don't acknowledge that bullying does exist in grade school. Perhaps if dealt with sooner rather than later, their would be less across the years.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks for all of your comments and concern friends. I think things are already resolving themselves because I and another parent have spoken with the school about the problem. Zoe is a tough girl and isn't afraid of the bully, which makes the bully really angry I think. Chad and I have always worried how Zoe would handle a bully since she can be such a quiet, timid, Ghandiesque girl. She seems to be doing just fine 

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like when you make up words "Ghandiesque" is GREAT!

      Delete