I originally posted this on: spotlight on... sticks and stones
The old saying goes, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me"... in my humble opinion, that is a lie we tell ourselves... and maybe we adults even believe it... but I think children sometimes are smarter than us... just try to get a child who is being teased and picked on to actually believe the saying... they know it's a lie...
Recognizing the lie for what it is just might be the first [very, very, very, very small] step towards finding a solution to the problem of bullying...
If your child comes home upset because she/he is being picked on, don't tell them this lie... they won't believe you... instead, listen to them, acknowledge their hurt feelings, let them know you love and value them, and work from there to help them find creative ways to stand up to the bullies...
It probably won't be easy... no one ever said it would be... but no one deserves to be bullied for any reason... and your child's life just might hang in the balance...
