Is tomorrow really Friday? How did this week whiz by so quickly? I've had something I've wanted to write about all week, and I now finally have a few moments to myself to turn my thoughts into words. I've been wanting to write about bullying--the act of diminishing another's sense of self worth through various forms of abuse. I can't stop thinking about the many recent suicides that have occurred as a result from children being mercilessly picked on by peers. It is just so devastatingly sad. The question that continues to re-enter my mind is this: What are we, as parents, doing to help prevent our children from bullying others? In my opinion, home is where/how we learn to perceive/respond to others' differences. It matters not to me what that difference might be--whether it be sexual orientation, race, religious practice, socioeconomic status, physical disabilities, mental disabilities, if a person is too tall, too small, too skinny, too fat, purple, blue or polka-dotted. The list could go on and on. Are we talking to our children about how to treat others who are "different" from us? And what about this--what kind of example are we to them? How do we talk about others around our children? As we know, children learn by example; if we speak unkindly of others, then we should expect our children to do it, too. And if they do, should we be surprised if they tease and belittle those they look down upon? Here's one more question--how do we allow ourselves to feel when we encounter someone that is "different" from us?
After whirling all these questions around in my mind I sat my two daughters down to have a little chat. We talked about the importance of treating others with kindness and respect--that no one likes to feel bad about themselves. In the effort to illustrate this issue to a five and three year old I told them a little story, which was along the lines of The Ugly Duckling, and how one of the ducklings was born brown and big and looked nothing like the others. His siblings laughed at and taunted him mercilessly. The mother duck then taught her ducklings the importance of being kind regardless of his appearance.
Well, the following day, while visiting my in-laws, I made a remark to my husband about how a man on TV looked rather unhealthy--he was slouched over and his overall appearance looked ill. Miss A overheard my comment and said, "Mom, he is the way he is. BE NICE." I loved hearing that. She got it!! I hope that lesson will stick with her while she starts her first year of school, and that it can help lay the foundation of treating others kindly.
Friends, thanks for reading this post. I didn't want another day to pass without writing it. It's just too important of a topic to not discuss.
xo,
Pamela
