Bullying

I just don’t get it. Really I don’t. I imagine what goes through a bully’s mind, and well, I can’t even imagine it. Perhaps, even, the things I imagine going through their mind are just too terrible to conceive of a child thinking. Or perhaps, with my 28 years of maturity (or lack of), I just can’t imagine dealing with emotions at a nine or ten year old’s level. I just don’t get how, no matter who you are or how stressed you are, beating up on a little boy who is younger than you is going to calm the storms in your mind, be they small brewing storms or large destructive storms. I just don’t get it.

Right now I am having problems with bullying. More pointedly, my son is being bullied.

He is being bullied at the bus stop. (Before School)

He is being bullied in the bathrooms and on the playground. (During School)

He is being bullied at Kid Stop. (After School)

On Monday morning, my son didn’t want to go to school. Well no freakin wonder, I wouldn’t want to go to school either if I was being physically and emotionally abused before, during, and after school. It sucks. No way man, I’m sick, I think I will stay home. This SUCKS.

Yesterday, my son came home with a black eye. Granted, it isn’t the biggest or nastiest or most swollen black eye in history, but it is definitely there. There was no note and no phone call to accompany this black eye. Nothing.

It turns out that an older kid at Kid Stop pushed Sandis into the mirror in the bathroom. Sandis doesn’t know who he is, but he rarely knows other children’s names anyhow, even if he considers them his friend. He didn’t tell anyone about it, either. I didn’t notice until later that evening, when I got close enough and done enough with chores to really focus on him. Imagine my surprise when I realize his left eye is all swollen, lined red, and has some bruising underneath. It just sucks, not just for him, but for me too. It sucks for me because I can’t imagine, or I CAN imagine what being hit/pushed/kicked at school on any type of regular basis feels like.

I bet it makes him feel worthless. I bet it makes him feel unimportant. I bet it makes him wonder what is wrong with him. There is a whole range of feelings I bet he feels, and it makes me sad that he has even had an opportunity to feel this way.

I know how awesome my son is, and I know that these kids who are doing this don’t have the ability, for whatever reason, to get to know him well enough to know how awesome he is. I know that there is nothing wrong with my son, and that no matter what anyone says or does, no one ever deserves to get hit, kicked, or pushed. I know that, and I hope Sandis listens when I tell him how important and wonderful he is.

I get to spend yet another day calling social workers, school affiliates, etc…..And I shouldn’t have to do this. Because, you know what? This sort of thing just shouldn’t even be an issue, EVER. It’s a shame it has to be.