Kindergarten Bullying

[Dirt Boy 2]

I love your approach to preparing your kids for the world and not expecting the world to adapt around them. Model the right behaviors, create situations where the kids can observe you thriving, and ensure they have consistent challenges to positively overcome. Some might worry that if you push your kids too fast to act like a grown up in some ways, they might lose the innocence that is so precious to keep as a child. I believe that their childhood will be that much better as a result of your approach. Their heightened confidence and capability will allow them to create better relationships with other kids, teachers, coaches, etc. Things get easier when resilience is built early.

Things we do to keep our kids innocence is do simple toys. Our preference is them being outside playing with dirt, sand, and sticks regardless of the weather. They tend to complain for 5-10 minutes then are off to have their own fun. It wasn’t easy at first, and we had to give ideas, but it gets easier just like skill building. Simple toys in the house and lots of books. Let them choose, I like the Montessori methods, so we implement that when we can.

 

[Dirt Boy 2]

I can’t believe I have to ask this but I’m at a loss. Some of you may remember my oldest (12) being threatened to be stabbed last year and nothing happening about it.

Well now my middle one is in KG and has been dealing with bullies since the first week. We found out last week when he came home with a full lunch and said he couldn’t eat. He said he was too upset about two other kids in his class punching him in the head during lunch. The lunch monitors did nothing. They do it in class and his teacher told him “tell them to stop”. He won’t bring his water bottle anymore because the kids made fun of him. A kid at recess told him he couldn’t play basketball or he’d “kick him in the nuts”.

I know kids were never immune to bullying but it seems the school system can’t do anything about it anymore. He’s a really gentle kid most of the time but he’s absolutely big and strong enough at his age that he could really hurt someone retaliating.

Where is the line between sticking up for himself and walking away? What can we pressure the school to do if this keeps happening? I don’t know what to tell him.

Checking in on your school year as a new one approaches. My almost first grader had a few run ins with bullying over the previous year. The one he had the most trouble with seemed to grow out of it by the end of the year.
I’m trying to find a new way to add to his confidence for the upcoming school year. I’m putting him in charge of family cleanup after supper. He gets to tell everyone what to do to get the job done one night a week. Should be interesting.