Grrrr.
This week's question has made me quite angry - reading other people's horrific stories and remember the bad time I had at school. I've only got one hand so you can imagine the types of taunts and insults I got. Teachers don't do anything, you realise that quite quickly from the age of 5 or so upwards, and the whole "ignore them and they'll stop" doesn't work either.

I now have a 7-month old daughter, and as soon as she's old enough to go (and wants to go, obviously I'm not going to force her to do something she doesn't want to) I'm going to enroll her in a kid-friendly martial arts class. There are several reasons for this:
a) it's great for fitness, flexibility and general health (sadly lacking in a lot of kids these days)
b) it teaches discipline and respect for others
c) if she evers needs to, she can stick up for herself.

If she ever gets bullied to the point where it's obvious it's not just a bit of ribbing from other kids and it's clearly distressing her, she's going my full permission to put a stop to it physically. I'll have no difficulty explaining my reasons to the head teacher and the parents of the other child(ren) because there's no way I'm going to let her take the misguided advice of the adults in charge and undergo a repeat of what happened to me. Teachers have got no clue half the time and are happy to sweep stuff under the carpet, and no power to actually do anything the other half.

My bullying finally calmed down when I was about 15 or so, when one day one of the bullies gave me a slap round the head, knocking my glasses halfway across the classroom. I turned round, belted him, knocked him over a table, inadvertantly ripping half his ear off in the process. It wasn't my intention, but this had to stop, you know? Well, it did. It makes me sad to say it, but I wish I'd done it earlier!
(JohabMorelli is spenging merrily away, Thu 21 May 2009, 3:53, 1 reply)

Needs more Honda
3/10
(Bazongaloid, Thu 21 May 2009, 6:59, closed)