It was a warm April day and I was about to approach my client’s house for a home visit. As I was walking towards the driveway, I noticed two elementary aged girls approaching the house. Instantly I thought it was a play date that was accidentally scheduled but what it was surprised me more than anyone can imagine.
“Hi, we live in the neighborhood and ride the same bus as David, Are you David’s mom?”, the taller girl asked as if she was a seasoned Business Development Manager in another life. “Well, we wanted to let you know that for the past few weeks, David has been really bugging my friend and I both in the bus and out of the bus. I just wanted you to know that..”
It was quite an interesting event to watch a ten-year old with more gravitas and tact than some adults I’ve encountered in the past. Tall girl then looked over at short girl and said, “Tell David’s mom what he’s been doing to you when we were on the bus.” This other girl was not as talkative and briefly said, “Everything that you said.”.
David’s mom was in shock that her son was being put to trial without representing himself in his own home. She did however mention to me later on how much she admired these two girls for speaking up for themselves and not involving their parents in the sometimes trivial minutiae that is called, “bullying”.
If you are a parent or grandparent of a child, try to instill in them the value of communication and being assertive. Often times children will resort to tattle tailing or retaliation when minor things occur. When conflicts arise, teach them the art of “verbal self defense” by explaining to them that when someone does something that hurts you, be direct when you communicate the result of their actions. This will prevent a great deal of time and misunderstanding if we teach children how to communicate early!
For more information about parenting advice, executive functioning, or premium educational programs, please contact Christine at christine@learningridge.com or 404-964-8533.
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