Thoughts on Bullying

WARNING:  THIS BLOG MAY NOT BE WHAT YOU ARE EXPECTING.  Today, there was another story on television about a school shooting as a result of bullying.  Bullying is getting a lot of attention in schools, the press, etc, but this old woman has a different concern.  I was talking to my husband today, and we both remember being made fun of.  He was short, had a big nose, etc.  I was the skinniest kid in school, with a long neck and big nose, so you can imagine the comments I got.  I was called turkey neck, and kids would do the gobble, gobble as I walked down the hallway.  Wasn't a fun time for me.  But guess what?  I never felt bullied. I also went to a very rough school, where girls fought a lot.  I mean, literal fighting, with nails, pulling hair, biting, etc.  It was great entertainment for the boys.  So there was also the fear of physical hurt, but I still did not consider it bullying.

See, here is my concern.  These kids who feel like they are being bullied, and that the answer is getting a gun and shooting people, are almost being excused for their actions.  Because they were bullied.  Schools are putting in programs to stop bullying, when instead, they should be teaching our kids to be tougher.  It's a hard life out there, folks!  We have tried to tell our grandson that bullying, or just having the guys make fun of you, will not stop in high school.  I work for a large manufacturing plant, and you should see the shenanigans that are pulled out there in the plant!  This is part of life, and all kids need to learn how to deal with it.  As parents, we can help them, by encouraging them, but we should also be teaching them that violence is NOT the answer.  In the form of fists, guns, whatever. You can only feel bullied if deep down, you agree with the bully.

Let's teach our kids they are valuable, and if they hear kids in school say otherwise, it's up to them to believe them.  If they don't believe them, then they are not being bullied.  All that talk is just babble that can roll right off their back.

If there is a problem with bullies in your school, I fear the fault is ours, as parents, schools, and churches.  Why does the kid bully?  Because he or she is looking for a way to make themselves feel better.  And that is because their parents, schools, and churches didn't do their job.  The kid that is being bullied?  They also have a low self-esteem, and their parents, schools, and churches didn't do their job there either.  As parents and grandparents, let's step up and do our job!