Emma Takes On Bullying

Thus far, my children are neither bullied nor bullies. Emma did come home from school this week reporting that some kid in her school had pushed someone else over. I get the impression that it was something she heard about, rather than witnessing, but she decided to act. She made “No knocking over girls and boys” signs for her school AND Johnny’s school.

Bullying was frequently a part of life for me and my siblings growing up – better handled at some schools than others. As a large family, we stood out. As foreigners who struggled to survive school in a language we barely spoke, we stood out. Most of us were very quiet – unlikely to say or do anything about our tormenters. The schools that took bullying seriously made all the difference in our lives, helping us to make and keep friends and to focus and learn. Empathetic teachers and friends made all the difference, even when the school as a whole didn’t seem to care.

I’m very grateful that Emma’s school takes bullying seriously, and that my daughter is paying attention! Even if it does look a little bit like a “no boys allowed” poster…

MaryAnne Kochenderfer

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MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.