August 31, 2007

Big Bully

By way of setting up this post, let me give you a little background info first.

Last school year (when Son was a second grader) he came home and told me that there were a couple kids on the bus who were calling him names and "sticking up their bad finger." I asked him what names exactly, and Son shyly told me that he was being called, among other things, a b*tch and an a**hole.

I laughed at first, and told my bewildered offspring that he can't be a b*tch because, well, he's not a female dog.

But Husband and I both told Son that there are kids out there who don't have the kind of home life that Son has, meaning their parents may use those words liberally around young kids, and so of course the kids are going to think it's okay for them to use them as well.

Now, while Husband does a much better job of it than I do, we both try not to swear around the kids, which explains why sometimes there are some profanity laced posts around here.

But back to the story. Seeing as how the two hooligans have moved up to the middle school, Son doesn't seem to be too worried about riding the bus anymore. Yesterday he brought home his yearbook and pointed out one of the kids who has a dirty mouth. It was one of those candid, "I'm a ham!" shots, and there was this seemingly innocent looking chubby fourth grader with a big, hammy look on his face. And now I know his name!!

I immediately imagined myself charging into the middle school to pummel gently reprimand this boy, but then I caught myself and realized how ridiculous it would be for a 37 year old woman to try to intimidate a fifth grade boy.

Mama Mafia, anyone?

Instead I looked at Son and said "You let this kid call you names?" and left it at that. I mean, hey, in my day that kid would have at least been called "Fatty."

But two wrongs don't make a right. Son knows better than to pick on younger kids (his sister being the exception: "Sister has a poopy butt, doo da! Doo da!") and knows that yelling out words that he doesn't know the meaning of is wrong, too.

So...there you go. While I love my kids more than anything, I can't fight their battles for them. Husband and I can give them the guidance parents are supposed to give, but they, the kids, are the ones who are going to have to listen and learn for themselves.

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