bullying

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Bullying is a major issue in schools today at least in the US but I have a feeling it is happening more frequently everywhere with technology what it is today. It used to be that when you were bullied you can go home and unwind and even if you were bullied home was your safe place but that's not how it is today. Kids find ways to bully their peers online and over text. Now some schools want to fine the bully's parents for their kids bullying. I personally am all for this. I do think there should be a warning letter letting parents know their child is bullying other kids because sometimes parents don't know but if it's still happening after that I think that's when it's important to start fining parents. It's our job as parents to raise decent human beings. I understand how kids can be even when we raise them to be better but kids need to know these kinds of actions have consequences. Bullying has gotten so bad that some kids are taking their own lives even some younger kids. I am so tired of hearing about how a child has been bullied to the point they feel the only way to end it is to take their life. Kids need to be held accountable for their actions and sometimes the best way to make that happen is through the parents. I'm raising the kind of child who is kind and caring and goes out of his way to help his friends not bring them down. My son has already tolerated some more mild bullying and he's only eight. My son has some quirks and things that make him more noticeable and he's super sweet and caring and it sometimes makes him a target. I worry that as he gets older it will get worse. So far, the bullying has only been very mild and the kids got to know him and stopped. My son has stayed his sweet and kind stuff and even when kids are mean to him he lets it roll off of him and keeps being who he is and even says a kind word to them and it seems to work for him. He is friends with kids that a lot of other kids don't like. I was told by his teacher that all of the kids like him and that he seems to be pretty popular. I do my best to raise him to be the kind of world I want to see in the world but I'm worried that others won't do their part and he's going to be a target. Almost everyone has had an experience with bullies. Sometimes I don't even think bullies realize they're bullies. I had this experience with my cousin. She once made a big point to point out how bad my handwriting was (I had fine motor delays and my handwriting is still bad because I still have some issues) and then when I was playing around with writing with my left hand she told me I should write like that all the time because it looked neater...sure it did because it took me like two minutes to write one letter. She also hung around with someone who hated me and would tell me to get lost and laugh when I messed up and she saw me being torn down and said nothing. You can't be a part of something like that and not be part of the problem. She didn't realize she was a bully because she thought she was nice when she wasn't she thought she was nicely teasing when she was being hurtful. Simply disagreeing with someone doesn't make you a bully using unkind words to direclty tear apart someone does. Saying you think a certain behavior seems stupid or that someone is acting stupid isn't being a bully. Tearing someone down is bullying. Telling someone to kill themselves is bullying. Personally attacking someone is bullying. To say that you made stupid choices isn't necessarily bullying either but feeling the need to make someone feel worse about something they already feel bad about and know was a bad choice can be a form of bullying if you're just trying to bring them down. Chances are they already know it and don't need to be made to feel smaller. Just because a person talks about a topic openly does not give anyone the right to attack someone. I have been guilty of it in the past to some degree because I was irritated but never directed it at them and may have made a passing remark of how many times I see similar things. It's ok to disagree with something or find it annoying that's normal what's not ok is to harp on someone about it and make them feel horrible about it. Do I find it annoying that half of facebook can't seem to spell basic second grade English? Yes, but do I belittle them for it? No. I understand some people don't catch onto some things and while I feel like they could do better I don't attack them over it. I feel like everyone is capable of more and it sometimes annoys me that a lot of these people don't even try and are content to continue on this way. Bullying is an issue everywhere especially online because people feel like they can say what they want without repercussion. They feel safe because they're behind a screen. It's frustrating to see so much hate and anger. I get we all get annoyed and need to vent from time to time and that's ok as long as you are not trying to intentionally hurt other people and aren't tearing them apart for things they have no control over. We all do and say stupid things. I think sometimes a little empathy could go a long way. I think sometimes before we speak we need to think about the things we are saying. I want to leave a better world for my son and for his entire generation and the ones following it. If we expect children to be a certain way maybe it's time to show them how to be decent people and start by leading by example.