Pages

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Bullying, Jen Aniston and Why We Need to Do More

This Babble post by Jessica Cohen is one of the best I've seen on bullying. She explains it happens between adults, but she also points out something more important. 

"How can we be trying to raise a generation of children who don’t bully others and who speak out against bullying, when we (generally speaking) are being so hypocritical?"

Thank you for saying this Jessica! 

I may have hesitated to read this because of some recent buzz about Jennifer Aniston saying something or other about us ladies not being happy for some reason or other and how she feels it's our own fault or something. But, I was so glad I read it. 

Too often we try to tell our kids "Do as I say, not as I do." Well, how are they supposed to learn anything different, if we keep sending them wrong messages like this one? There are some instances where we do need to have some leeway as parents, but bullying should not be one of them. So, be nice for goodness sake! Or, at least take mama's advice and don't say anything at all if you can't keep from saying something berating or belittling. 

Why we need to do more. I saw a news clip of a recent incident on a Florida school bus. Three kids pummeling a 13-year-old boy and I wanted to reach through the screen and stop it, but I couldn't. It already happened. Why did these kids act out? Why didn't the bus driver stop it? How can we stop this kind of stuff? Soap box, I know. But, I don't ever want to put my kid on a school bus now. Ever! 

How can we help? I don't know other than to say, be kind. Smile more. Pay attention to your children (she says as the baby is rising from a nap, so I have to walk the walk here and sign-off soon). Be interested in them and what they're doing, who their friends are and what is going on in their lives. I hope I can look back on this in the future and say it helped me to realize these are the times when good parents and parenting are needed most. Maybe we can be the change we wish to see in the world, as I think Gandhi said. Goodness has to start somewhere. Live it. Teach it. Be it. Hug your children and show them you care. 


Has Grown-Up Bullying Become a Sport? by Jessica Cohen on Babble

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...