A changed heart

Yesterday I picked my son up at school and he was walking towards me crying. Instantly I was on alert to see if he was hurt, asking a ton of questions, checking him for fever. He just got over being sick, so this was his first day back. Through his flowing tears he told me he got teased in gym class. He said he was running laps for his gym teacher. Which were given as punishment for the whole class, because of one yappy kid. So my Captain is running his laps and this other kid comes up to him and calls him weird. So the conversation followed like this.

Bully- “You’re weird!”
My son-” just go away,”
Bully- ” no you’re weird, and your hair’s weird.”

So if you’ve been following along with the bullying topic on my blog, this is the fifth kid and the sixth incident to happen. With further questioning I found out this bully has hit my son before, over a Pokemon game he was watching. In nearly 2 months of school the Captain has been pushed, stepped on, hit, poked, and teased by students in his grade and younger. The school will not recognize this as bullying but as a problem nonetheless. I stated I don’t agree, my definition of bullying is any attempt to make someone feel less than, small, insignificant, and insecure in their mind and heart. The school will only call it bullying if it’s consistent and from the same individual or group. Now I have my child who’s suffering having nightmares, belittling himself constantly, and blowing up like a volcano when he can’t handle everyday life at home. This is not how he’s being raised to be cruel, heartless, mean, and unforgiving. I teach him he is strong, resilient, kind, loving, and God’s child as well as mine. The school thinks giving students who are a problem (bullies) community service is going to help. It’s going to teach a lot of them to be a better bully and not get caught. Tomorrow is Halloween and my sons class is going to have a little party. Everyone will be in their Halloween costumes and my son is afraid to go to school. He’s afraid to wear his costume because he might get teased. I kept him home today he was up must of the night crying, tossing and turning in his nightmare world. I phoned the school explained what had happened and demanded a meeting. This school is huge, overflowing at it’s seams and my son is one of many. But I will not let him be treated like he’s just some insignificant nobody, regardless of the population. This school, these people, these bullies are changing my sons heart. And they do not see, feel, or know what anxiety and sadness they’re contributing too. Before this move he was happy to go to school, make friends, experience new things and love to learn. Now his teacher thinks he needs social cueing as a result of all these difficulties. I assure you my son from the age of 2, has been able to converse with people articulately and efficiently. He doesn’t need social cueing he needs to go to school and feel safe!!! He will only take so much abuse and then he will blow his top like a proverbial volcano. I know this to be true, as I’ve seen it when he’s pushed to the brink. So God help the next kid that picks on him. My Captain has been afraid to get into trouble for defending himself. But he’s given permission from my husband and I to do exactly that. This bullying has changed my sons heart, mind, and spirit. And I have to change it back before it’s too late…..

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