I kind of knew it was coming. With Kindergarten comes an all new set of challenges. With a sensitive, sweet and cautious boy you gotta know there will be trouble. I wanted to be pleasantly surprised with a warm and nurturing school. Nope.
Max comes home with horrendous stories. He tells these stories in a very matter of fact way. They almost always include being punched in the face and stomach, and often name calling, always being pushed around. The "bad" boys get lots of time outs that are clearly ineffective.
Labels are already developed and Max is already a targeted kid, he now hangs with the girls and is mocked for that as well.
So, time to take on the teacher and the school if need be. This can be a learning opportunity for everyone. Imagine the "bad" kid already being labeled bad three weeks into Kindergarten. That is just as bad, if not worse, than being the targeted, "weak" kid. Anyway, I am gathering a posse of parents to work this out.
In the mean time, I need to teach Max some basic self defense. Some basic techniques beyond, "Stop it!" My niece Emma learned to punch back and she stopped being bullied. I guess it could come to that.
Its much easier to deal with the election.
Bleagh.
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't like hearing my kid saying, "I don't like SoandSo, he's nasty. Nobody likes him." If I lecture too much, then I won't know what's going on, because he won't tell me.
The hitting amazes me. And the lack of response beyond time-outs. I don't think that was a problem in our kindergarten, and that's a very different demographic, stereotypically more prone to hitting. Huh.
Hugs for Max!
My years of school misery didn't begin until first grade. Advice? Hmm. I'll have to think about that.
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