Comments on: Screw PC!!

By: E.

E. — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:39:35 +0000

Wow that would be a hard situation. The 6th grade boys may be clueless but still once they were told that should have been the end of it. Hope everything worked out ok!

By: Tina T

Tina T — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:41:06 +0000

This is definitely wrong for 6th grade boys to act this way. I have a 6th grade son, and he would never do this. He does some goofy stuff, but would never think of bothering a Kindergartner. Actually, girls of any age are off limits for our boys to bother.

Glad that she stood up for herself, that ability will serve her well through her whole life.

By: Staci at Just Bloggled

Staci at Just Bloggled — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 05:08:21 +0000

One of my mom’s favorite stories used to be how when I was in kindergarten or the first grade, we lived in the country & I had to ride the bus. My “best friend” Jessica, who these days we’d call my frienemy, always used the bus as a time to bully me. The way the story goes, I took it and took it until one day I just hauled off & punched her. According to my mom, the whole bus, including the bus driver, cheered.

I don’t remember any of it honestly. The only thing I remember about the bus is the one day it broke down. However, it made me wonder, if the whole bus was glad I finally punched her, why didn’t they intervene before it came to that point? Couldn’t the bus driver or someone said something to Jessica before then?

It sounds like from your story the bus hasn’t changed it all. It makes me glad my nephew goes to the city schools, where there aren’t any buses. Not that the lack of buses stops bullying. Kids can always bully on the playground before the bell rings.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:24:02 +0000

You’re a better man than me for not going ballistic over those boys and your daughter’s incident. You did the right thing- all the way. Your intervention, PC or not, was important and RIGHT. One of the reasons I don’t have kids of my own is the lack of freedom that I’m accustomed to, lack of patience, anger issues and the worry that if I had a kid, I would be so over protective with my child, it would be detrimental to one and all.

By: BK

BK — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 01:39:57 +0000

The fact that you knew about all these incidents meant that your daughter was feeding back to you what was happening? And I think that is good. If she didn’t speak up, it could have been much worse. Much as I agree with you that as adults we should not intervene with problems between kids. I believe there is a need to in this case to certain extent. We need to let the principles of the school involved be aware of the case and at the same time we need to let our little ones know that such things are not right and how they should react or behave. I thought you are pretty calm and patient already in handling it.

By: admin

admin — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 23:54:23 +0000

I agree that my daughter needs to be able to take care of herself. Self confidence, good self-esteem and maybe even a little self-defense. And my boys too!

This parenting gig is not so easy that’s for sure!!!

Thanks for all of your thoughts.

By: Ryhen | Mind Power

Ryhen | Mind Power — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 07:12:28 +0000

This got me thinking. Maybe I should start teaching my 6yr old daughter kung fu or something (not that I know martial arts). Hmm… maybe I should just buy her a nunchuck and some ninja stars.

Seriously, a kid’s life is more brutal than an adult’s. It’s at this stage when the territorial instincts of a person develops and where the natural fight or flight response is imprinted on the psyche. I agree that you should screw PC, in terms of intervention, but it’s better to teach your daughter to take care of herself physically and mentally. =)

By: Barbara Ehrentreu

Barbara Ehrentreu — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 03:15:53 +0000

My daughter was older and used to get bullied by a boy who lived on our block almost every day on the bus. I used to talk to his mother about it and once she sent him over to apologize. Kids can be so miserable to each other. It’s good that your sons are on the same bus, and yes, they should definitely look out for their sister. She must be really cute to be getting this much attention.:) But she does have a good head on her shoulders.LOL Sounds like the whole thing has been nipped in the bud.

By: Holly Jahangiri

Holly Jahangiri — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 02:33:48 +0000

When my daughter was in kindergarten, one of the boys at her daycare (only a year or two older than her), told her, “I wanna sex with you.” She was horrified. I told her to tell him that maybe, in another twenty years, when he’d figured out that “sex” was not a verb…

But seriously, you are absolutely right – most of the time, things are best worked out between the kids. Assuming they’re about the same age and size, and that they’re…being kids. This crosses a line, and isn’t good for those boys, either. I wish I believed that calling their dads for a good dad to dad chat would work, but it would probably end in a fistfight, these days.

http://jahangiri.us/news/2008/09/21/the-real-tyranny-and-tragedy-of-bullying/

By: Faith

Faith — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 01:14:46 +0000

Hola Guys,

Ugh, what is going on on the bus these days? I think you’re spot on on this one, screw being PC! A united front is right most times you just need to appear strong and your boys should remember there’s power in numbers.

Clearly some parents need to also sit down with their children and remind them what’s appropriate behavior.

By: BuenoBaby

BuenoBaby — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:58:28 +0000

You’re right, not much has changed in the past 30 years EXCEPT schools can now be made legally accountable (just as places of employment) for their handling of any sexual harassment incidents. Yup, that’s what this is. That’s why this just doesn’t smell right. This is why god gave us Gloria Allred.

By: RE - A BadGalSays

RE - A BadGalSays — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:49:03 +0000

thats right little lady “Just Say NO”..

By: L Avery Brown

L Avery Brown — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:08:58 +0000

You’re much calmer than I would have been. That’s sexual harassment (regardless of whether it was ‘in jest’ or spoken by children) and from my understanding there is supposed to be a zero tolerance attitude in most all schools.

If anything the boys in question should have been banned from the bus for at least two weeks and at the most they should have been suspended from school for up to three days and required to go to counseling.

And this I say not just as a parent…but I’m a former teacher. It’s one of those things that’s drilled into our heads. Too bad the bus driver wasn’t on the ball to stop it…

By: Larissa

Larissa — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:08:07 +0000

You’re absolutely right. I was bullied as a kid, actually got the crap kicked out of me on several occasions. My parents tried going to the bus driver, the principal, the board of education, and finally the cops. It didn’t work, just got worse. Of course, I didn’t have the benefit of older brothers.

If they can’t fix it, though? Karate. My parents finally sent me to karate (which I think you can start at age 6 now) and I learned confidence and backbone more than anything. I only got into one more fight after that, and once I wasn’t such an easy target, it was done.

But beyond the physical, martial arts is great for just developing a sense of self that makes a kid carry herself differently and not let herself be picked on.

There’s a reason I’m a lawyer with a focus in domestic violence now.