The days of Wet Willies aren't over.
I can't stand them. I can't stand anyone going near my ear be it wet or dry - ugh. So the thought of someone doing that to my kid makes me angry.
When I arrived home I received a hug larger than life and a talk about how some kids were picking on him on the bus ride home, complete with spit balls and taunting. As an overweight, unpopular child I was picked on myself - so I understand what it's like to be in his shoes - but it does't make me feel any better.
Where does it come from, in kids/humans, to be mean to others? Why is that our first instinct when we're placed in a larger group than we were previously used to? Why is negativity so much easier than positivity? (Entropy might be the easy answer.) And what's worse is how quickly this negativity spreads and how acceptable is can be, "oh, kids will be kids, teasing is a normal part of growing up." Yes, well, as normal as it may be if your kid's picking on my kid, we're gonna have a problem. But no, I won't go around beating on little children - as tempting as it may be sometimes...
Why does my sweet little one have to endure the same things I went through like some kind of hazing ritual? And when are the other guys going to get theirs?
What's the deal with some environments being all sorts of accepting and others not? I'm sure there are schools where the kids are accepting and positive and happy - where is this utopia?
What is the bus driver's, or teacher's, or parent's role in this? Who steps in where and for what purpose? The bus driver today had it all wrong and made my guy pick up the bullies' spit balls that were used against him - what the hell, man?!
Where does it start and where does it end?
This is more of an upset rant than anything - but I'm curious to see what others think of this topic.
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It's a great topic to blog about.
Personally I think the parents should open their eyes and see that they have a "problem child" and deal with it like a parent should. They shouldn't turn a blind eye, because then the child will automatically think their behavior is acceptable. To me, it most definitely is not!
I wonder if the parents even know though. It's hard enough to get more than a "nothin'" out of mine when I ask what he did at school on any given day. I can't imagine any kid saying, "oh, I picked on a kid on the bus, tried to make his life miserable, got a good laugh out of it. How was work, Mom?"
I remember picking on people, like it's some kind of pecking order thing. I don't have enough energy to care about it now - and with all the stories I hear about youngin's committing suicide for being picked on, I worry about them, and I worry about mine. It's so different as an adult, I wouldn't want to go back.
"drink from that wishing well but may it never quench your thirst" - Indigo Girls
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/flnerd
bullying goes on even in highschool. i have been picked on since elementry school up until now my senior year of highschool and im hoping it will stop. sometimes its hard to talk about because its just so depressing and embarrassing its just so hard to deal with. its not like anyone could really stop it or protect you. so sometimes its just like a why bother sort of thing. id hate for anyone else to go through it. i just dont understand how someone could just hate some one for no true reason other than having fun making someone miserable
I'm so sorry to hear that that goes on with you even as a senior in high school. I hope you're going to college, because I don't know what it is, but suddenly after being geeky for most of my years I finally became cool in college - everyone became cool in college. There's something about that higher education that really works.
I was always told that I was being picked on b/c it made someone else feel better about themselves - and I'm sure for a brief moment it did. Hindsight is much nicer, however and I think one of the best things that came out of the whole experience for me is that it's so much easier to be nonjudgmental.
It makes me sad that you find it hard to talk about and that it causes you embarassment - I know it'll get better. And if you ever want to talk send me a note.
Liz
"drink from that wishing well but may it never quench your thirst" - Indigo Girls
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/flnerd
Hang in there and get to college. It will be so much better. you'll have more autonomy, you'll pick your own classes and course of study, so the people in your classes will be like-minded, and there are a lot more groups in college than in high school. You will find a niche. Just don't let the high schoolers get you down. They're so....high school!
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman