Remember I told yall that something was going on with her. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it? I found out. And I feel like a bad mother for not figuring it out sooner. It has nothing to do with me, or the new baby. It was your classic case of bullying.
That’s right. My little girl was being pinched, spit on, having her hair pulled and downright bullied by another 1st grader. A girl she considered to be her friend. Of course she was going to lash out. She didn’t know how to take it. She has this “cool” girl that she wants to be best friends with but doesn’t understand why she hurts her and makes her cry.
How I found out? As a black family there are certain unspoken rules we have to go off of. One of them is “Never send your daughter ANYWHERE with her hair looking a hot mess.” Because of this rule I spend a good amount of time every night making sure her hair is just right. She always comes home from school looking pretty decent but the last few days her ponytails were hanging loose and were all frizzy. I couldn’t figure out what she was doing for her hair to look such a mess after being in school for a few hours.
Thursday night as I’m about to re-do her hair I ask her a question. “Lael, has anyone been playing in your hair? I don’t understand why it looks this messy.”
She stops and turns around and looks at me. Then the flood gates opened up. “The girls on the bus have been pulling my hair. And today INSERT NAME pinched me. And the other day she spit in my face. And such-and-such was sitting with me but then INSERT made her move and sit with her. And they made me cry. And on and on and on.
I was horrified. It all made sense now. My husband walked in her bedroom after I had done her hair and put her in the bed and she was still going on and on about all the things that have happened to her over the last few weeks. He was angry with her because he asks her everyday how her day was and she never led him to believe anything was wrong.
I was furious. I couldn’t decide whether to call the Bus Supervisor who could pull the tapes and call the girls parents. Or speak to the bus driver about keeping an eye on them. Or speaking to the girls mother since they were in Gymnastics together and I would see her on Saturday.
I decided to speak with the bus driver on Friday morning. I told him that I wasn’t sure what was REALLY going on but I’d like it if he could keep an eye on them and have Lael sit up front where he could see her. His response just about pushed me over the edge. “I sit all the elementary school kids up front together. I can’t do everything!” For fucking real? That’s your answer?
I was fuming by the time I got back home. I called the Bus Supervisor right away. But she didn’t answer. I called a few more times throughout the day and couldn’t reach her. I’m sure it happened that way for a reason. My husband had calmed down and suggested that I just speak to the girls mother that next morning during Gymnastics. Apparently Lael had gotten home from school Friday and declared that her and the girl were friends again because they decide to stop being mean to each other. Really?
Saturday came and I was afraid I would be too bitchy so I rehearsed what I wanted to say.
It went well. The mother seem mortified that her daughter was behaving this way. I explained that the girls were probably both at fault and that I had spoken to Lael about how to treat her friends and all people for that matter. She understood. She spoke to her daughter as soon as gymnastics was over. The girls hugged and asked for play dates and a sleepover.
I am quite relieved. Because even though I won’t hit another person’s child. I will shake the shit outta them if anything like that happens again.
Just kidding.
No, not really.
Sike.
Holy shit.
ReplyDeleteThat bus driver? What the hell is his problem?
You are a better person than me - I wouldn't let that die. I'd still be trying to get ahold of his supervisor. That is HIS JOB.
Ughhhh. I am so mad for you and Lael.
Excuse me...I need to go calm down.
Wow, that is just the worst! I am so glad Lael finally told you. Honestly, I wouldn't trust that INSERT NAME ever - where in the world did she learn to spit in people's faces?! ARGH!!!
ReplyDeleteYou handled it well. I would be mortified too. I just had a similar situation with my son and the bus. No fun at all!!
ReplyDeletePoor baby. It is so hard to see your kids have to deal with the meanness of other children.
ReplyDeleteYou did good.
Hopefully, everything will be all better now.
I think you handled it way better than I probably would have.
ReplyDeleteI would be angry that any child would do that to my child, but INSERT NAME probably did not know better (even though she should), but an adult supervisor who was present when this happened and did not step in? I'd be even more mad. And for him to abdicate any responsibility even for future possible incidents? I'd be drafting a letter to his supervisor, cc'ing relevant persons in the school! (If, like here, the school sub-contracts out the bus-ing to a company.)
Oh man!! What the heck is wrong with that bus driver?! He needs to have his butt kicked!!
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you got things worked out.
Wow I can't believe that bus driver's response - how rude! I'm glad you worked things out for now, so hard to see your child hurting or being hurt. ::hugs::
ReplyDeleteI'd totally want to shake her too. I once pushed a 1 year-old who rushed my 1 year-old to knock her down.
ReplyDeleteWell, not hard. I mean, I put my hand down to stop him and he fell.
IT'S NOT MY FAULT! (But I'd do it again.)
And I'm not even going to get started on that bus driver.
Being what I wnet thru I don't know what I would have done. Heartbreaking. I am so glad the mom responded the way she did.
ReplyDeleteSo this is when it all begins, huh? That little girl will probably grow up and be the same bitch at work who ruins another woman's reputation because she's jealous of her.
ReplyDeleteI would have been livid, you handled the situation very well.
ReplyDeleteI hope Lael is having a better time in school now.