I don’t have too many fears or worries concerning my kids, I know they’ll probably have a few times in life when they fall down and get hurt physically. I know there will be times when they will struggle in school or with tackling assignments. I’m sure that they will get discouraged if they don’t make the team or don’t win at something, or they might like someone that doesn’t like them back. All of these things I believe I’ll be able to accept happening to my kids except...bullying.

I can’t stand the thought of having my kids or anyone’s kids bullied. It is one of the things I stress the most in teaching my kids...is to love everyone, be nice to EVERYONE. I had a few friends in elementary that were bullied like nothing else. Their life was HELL. I watched it first hand and it is something I don’t understand and I don’t think I ever will. I consider it a form of terrorism.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not talking about little pushes or slight yelling, evil looks, and I’m not talking about boys will be boys rough housing. I’m talking about real bullying.

It’s something I didn’t think I would even have to deal with until my kids were in school...ya know, teaching them not to bully and not to allow themselves to be bullied. I don’t believe in it. I don’t believe (like some do) that it is good for a child in ANY way, EVER. I don’t think it “builds character” at all. I don’t think it’s good to toughened up that way either.

I took Alex to a park near Abby’s dance class yesterday. Alex went over to play on the playground which he had all to himself.

Soon after, 3 boys arrived. 2 a little older and one that looked just older than Alex’s age. I watched a fair distance away proudly as Alex introduced himself and asked them for their names which the boys told Alex were amy, mary, and the third boy didn’t seem to want to play the game. I just laughed it off and hoped Alex would just play by himself.

Alex then asked them if they wanted to be friends with him and they didn’t say anything and just ran away.

Alex went about his business and climbed up the playground when I saw the boy just older follow him up and grab Alex’s arm and then I heard Alex scream, “I want my mommy” and he came over to me crying. I saw a big welt on Alex’s arm and he told me he had been pinched by the boy. I hugged him and said very loudly so the boys would hear, “go back and play Alex, if that boy touches you again, I will find his mommy and tell her what he did, nobody has any right to touch you and you have just as much right to play on that playground as they do” Yup, that’s what I said REALLY loud.

So, thinking that was enough, but questioning myself. (I’ve never had to deal with this before) I went on reading my book, only to look up just in time to see these boys in a huddle planning something. I didn’t think too much of it. The two older boys took off on their bikes and left the younger one there. I kept reading.

I then heard Alex moan and I looked up to see this boy take off on his bike in a big hurry. I went up to Alex who was crying and walking funny. I looked at his bum and there was white stuff all over him with the playground bark stuck to it. Alex then told me the older boys had put glue on the slide and left and then the other boy shoved him down when he wasn’t looking. He tumbled down the slide and had glue all over his bum and side of his leg and arms.

I don’t know. What would you have done? It was so sad to see him heartbroken and not understanding why they were so mean to him. I didn’t know what to tell him. I just said, “It’s not your fault. Those boys were not nice and I hope you know that I love you and I hope you never make anyone else feel the way those boys made you feel today”.

I then loaded everyone in the car and took off to try and find this boy and his mother. I finally located his bike and found out where he lived. I had to pick up Abby from dance so I took note and came back to the house after where his mom was just getting in to her car.

To be honest, I didn’t want to say anything, but I thought that if that were my son...I would want to know if he was a bully. She looked a little scary, but I still approached her and just told her what happened and that her son really could’ve hurt Alex since he pushed him so hard when he wasn’t looking and so high up on the platform. She seemed to understand, but wasn’t overly friendly, I get that.

Anyway, I just hate the thought of my kids self worth and self esteem being damaged because some other kid wants to tear them down and make them feel worthless. I get a TINY glimpse of how Heavenly Father must feel when he sees his children picking on each other and bullying one another.

I guess the lesson I learned by this experience is that I can’t keep my kids from being exposed to that and I can’t control everything that goes on in their lives. I learned how important it is for me to love my children and build them up in every possible way to help build strong characters that will enable them to withstand anything like that that might go on in their lives. I hope they stand up for themselves and others. I hope they respect and love others.

I hope I can control myself next time and not go and spank the kids butt. That’s my baby boy and I’m a mother bear! Hear me ROAR!!!