I Should Pack a Knuckle Sandwich and a Can of Whoop-Ass
Posted by Heather in This Mom GigLet me start off by saying that I’m in Mama Bear mode.
The Heir is being picked on at school again. We had an issue earlier in the school year with this but it seemed to be resolved. However, the Heir has been very distressed about school for the past few weeks and it revolves around PE. I’ve asked him before what is going on, but he’s a boy and tells me very little detail. So I didn’t push it. I was confused because he use to love playing on the playground but now he hates it. I didn’t know what to make of it…again, I’m just bumbling through this whole parenting gig with him. I talked to the principal two weeks ago because I was concerned and he was to look into it. I never heard back.
Finally, late yesterday, we were swinging outside and I got him to talk about it. Turns out he’s being picked on by the same boy again and he now has a larger gang of followers than earlier in the year. He rattled off a handful of names of kids that “don’t like me”, along with the words of “moron, idiot, ugly” that he is being called by the ringleader. He actually said one of the boys, who I know is a sweet natured kid outside of PE (and away from the ringleader), won’t play with him because of how the Heir looks.
I don’t blame him for hating PE. I’d hate it too. Never have I disliked other kids as much as I do today. I’ve always been pretty accepting of other people’s kids but today I’d like nothing better than to pack my own lunch of knuckle sandwiches and cans of whoop-ass and march myself into PE.
I don’t know if or what the principal did two weeks ago. I only know his teacher was not surprised to hear what I told her this morning and said a lot of kids were having the same problem. Well, I guess it’s good that my kid isn’t the only one being hurt but it doesn’t make me any less angry. I just want to make a batch of knuckle sandwiches to hand out to the other moms too.
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So what if a lot of kids were having the same problem? What are they doing about it? I hate it when they say that crap! Your child should be able to go to school, feel safe and have a good time!
We’ve had a problem here, but whenever a parent complained about a certain child, the school would just respond- he has problems, he is getting help- WTF? So other children have to suffer? Hell NO! Just my opinion! Hope you get it straightened out soon!
oh, that’s so awful. THere’s nothing worse than having someone you love get picked on, and not being able to beat up the offender. I DREAD CJ going to school.
I feel for you on this one, Heather. My son has had a lot of problems since starting public school. For the first month his lunch was being stolen. I couldn’t figure out why he was absolutely starving when I would pick him up from school, but he finally told me. His teacher was pretty non-challant about it, but it did stop.
Some kids are just mean and I want to beat the tar out all of them. I wish you the best of luck with all of this.
I don’t blame you – I think we’d all like to do the same thing in those circumstances. Kids can be little shits at times
Just let me know if you need some help passing out the knuckle sandwiches… I’ve been a bit irritable lately and it might help my demeanor to pick on mean kids!
Oh well gee…if a lot of other kids are having the same problem I guess you don’t need to worry about it. Pfft.
They need to be doing something about that. Sit down with the kid, or talk to his parents…do SOMETHING.
Maybe you should have The Heir bring the bully some chocolate mint brownies
Heather – You need to get back in contact with the principal… ESPECIALLY if your son is not alone!
That type of bullying just gets worse as they get older. Next year it will start again if it doesn’t get resolved..only next year the bully will be older, bigger, with more followers.
As a teacher, I find it unacceptable that the principal didn’t return your call. He is probably hoping that since the year is pulling to a close that you will forget about it. But you do not want to deal with all of this again next year.
Ok, I will stop nagging you. I just don’t want the Heir to start hating school…which is what happens when kids get bullied.
Gosh, that is sooo terrible. I know it breaks my heart when someone is deliberately mean to one of my kids. Being a mom is hard work sometimes.
This totally sucks.
And yes, I would want to beat the kids up myself. But then you run the risk of the kid being called a mama’s boy. Damn. I hate bullies. I hate them. Get on the phone with the prinicpal again! And if he doesn’t call you back, keep calling. You need answers. Hang in there.
Can I come, too? I make a mean knuckle sandwich.
Shouldn’t the school be doing something about this bully kid? It sounds like it is happening to lots of kids?!
Thats awful. Awful that some little pip squeak is picking on your kid and equally as awful that the school isn’t doing anything.
Keep on em and don’t stop until you get the result you want!!!
That is awful!!! Sounds like someone needs their butt tore up.
I’m so sorry to hear that you son is being picked on. What a horrible situation. I hope that I never have to deal with bullying when my boys are older…but it’s so common these days.
I hope the school will help you find a solution!
I’ve got your back.
Damn snot nosed buggers.
I make a wicked Knuckle Sandwich with a side of all out Kickassedness.
I’m going to pull an “I’m a teacher..” card too and agree that this is ridiculous! Like the commenters before me, I will state that bullying just gets worse as kids get older, and worse yet if it goes unchecked. Keep on talking to the principal and anyone else at the school. Eventually things should improve. Your son is lucky to have you fighting for him!
Wow.
Send him to school with a tazer and steel-toe boots. If nothing else it will get the teacher’s attention.
Joseph had a little trouble with kids when we moved up here and he was the new kid. Another kid kept pushing him and knocking him down.
The teacher wasn’t doing anything about it, even after I talked to her. So I explained the “new playground rules” to him.
1. If someone hits or pushes you once, tell the teacher.
2. if someone hits or pushes you a second time, tell the teacher.
3. If someone hits or pushes you a third time, you end the fight and you won’t get in trouble. If the teacher gets you in trouble, ingnore her and I’ll straighten her our.
I showed him how to end a fight and made him practice them until he could do them effectively.
The teacher called me one day the next week to say Joseph had beaten a kid up. When I got there I talked to Joseph in front of the teacher, who admitted she hadn’t actually witnessed the fight.
I told her it was her fault and explained the new playground rules to her. If she couldn’t control the kids under her care, I was going to encourage Joseph to handle it himself.
There have been no further incidents.
The school district should have a no-bullying policy, and it should be strictly enforced.
Ask your principal about this, and if he continues to do nothing, go to the superitendent and/or school board.
God. Some kids can be such bastards.
I always found that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree…as a matter of fact, it doesn’t fall off at all…the kid is only acting the way his asshole parents do.
I would get on this ASAP.
I feel like I should defend the school and principal a bit. They are not uncaring people and I don’t believe he’s the type of principal to ignore something like this.
It is the last week of school, and given that, I did resolve the situation for the Heir for the remaining 3 days of PE. The teasing isn’t the only problem we’re having with PE so his teacher and I took a different approach for these last few days.
When school starts again next year, we will be on the look out for this and if it comes up again, we’ll quickly handle it.
Oh that’s awful. And heartbreaking. Hope things get better.
I do not look forward to dealing with this stuff as my kids start school.
I was bullied all through 3rd grade or so until I graduated H.S. One of the kids on my block was one of the ring leaders. His parents were complete arses and I wonder if they would have done anything about it anyway.
Someone needs to be held accountable for repeated bullying behavior. As an adult I can look back somewhat objectively and wonder if the bullys had crappy parents who abused them in some way. Not that is an excuse, but now I wonder if I had my parents support in going to the school and outing all the bullys what would have been different. The bullys will say that I “tattled”, but it is like what is happening with gangster rap, where people are being told not to tell the police about known criminals. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/04/19/60minutes/main2704565.shtml
It definitely added stress to my childhood that I did not need. The chief bully threatened to “beat me up” if I did not let him cheat off of me. He would pull me into an alcove in the hallways at school at punch me. You don’t need your child to put up with that. And the parents of the bullys need to know that they can be held accountable for their childs actions. Perhaps the first offense is a fine and a mandatory class for the parents and child on why bullying is bad. Second offense can be more severe.
good luck. Seems like you have lots of support. I have a three year old now and hope I can know if he is facing these issues when he goes to school.
That is terribly sad. I know what it is like to be bullied and having kids mess with your child’s feelings. The principal wants to hush it all up. It’s the “We have no bullies in our school” spiel or the “boys will be boys” mantra. When I learned what happened to MY child I immediately stormed into the school and demanded to have a joint meeting with the principal and the school counselor. I also called the bully’s parents that afternoon after my big stink at the school. Their reaction was “my child would never do such a thing” but I said what I had to say, and I made sure that it was on the record in school that their child was a bully.
Maybe being the mother everyone in school hates worked because my kids is being left alone. Unfortunately intimidation and in your face attitude works best.
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