Books and Bullying

So we have had issues with bullying in public school and with “friends” in the past. This hasn’t been a huge problem lately though- Thank goodness!


I came across a book this past week. I read it in 2 days- it was that good! It is The Year of Learning Dangerously by Quinn Cummings. I didn’t agree with everything she said but I love that the author was willing to admit her own shortcomings in her own education and how she felt overwhelmed at times and doubted that she was doing the best for her child by homeschooling her. This is an issue that all homeschool parents have at some point- Am I doing what is best for my child? Anyways- one of the parts that stuck out to me (so much so that I wrote it down!) was her summary on bullying. She is talking about all the questions someone (who she refers to as the interrogator) asks when they find out you homeschool. Here is the quote that I wrote down from pg 24: “‘But,’ the Interrogator might ask, ‘how will these kids learn to deal with bullies and jerks?’ As luck would have it, there are bullies at the Scout meetings, in the mall, on the playground and even at family reunions. There are jerks everywhere you look. Children who homeschool do get to negotiate with socially toxic people. What they don’t get to do is grimly endure an entire year sitting two feet from a person who makes their lives miserable on a regular and predictable basis. It’s not unreasonable to hope that by the time homeschooled children enter the world as adults, they will have acquired the self-possession required to walk away from someone who is belittling them and been spared the recurring nightmares of being trapped in the locker room with the bully.”

This is SO true! I had tried to figure a way to sum up the answer to this question, particularly since we have experienced bullying in various place and not just the public school. I absolutely love this part: “What they don’t get to do is grimly endure an entire year sitting two feet from a person who makes their lives miserable on a regular and predictable basis.” I like that particular part because bullying is one of the reasons I pulled my 2nd son out of public school. Yes he still gets bullied occasionally by “friends” but it is not a consistent thing. He isn’t coming home from everything we do crying that no one likes him, so-so was mean to him, etc. Instead of coming off the bus every other day crying and upset I now have a child who gets upset only occasionally about another child bullying him- maybe once a quarter, instead of every day. And because of the homeschooling community that we are in if he tells me about it when it happens I know I can always make it into a teaching lesson with all the kids involved…and the parents won’t be upset that I “corrected” their child! LOL

Awesome Friends

I have some awesome friends! If you have read my previous posts then you know my son is gluten-free. This also means that every time he goes anywhere I have to pack food for him. Any event we attend I have to bring food for him. I truly don’t mind as he is my child and it is my responsibility.


So last month our close friend invites us to her child’s birthday party. Of course we are going to attend. So she then asks me where she can buy gluten-free cake, bread, and chips!!! I told her I could bring substitutes but she would hear nothing of it. For the first time since going gluten-free my son attended a birthday party where he didn’t have to bring his own food. This is a HUGE deal to him! He felt so special.

Then this month my other friend (who is sister’s with the above friend) invited us to her child’s birthday party. She made sure my son could eat everything she served and also made him gluten-free cupcakes! For the 2nd time he got to eat everything at a birthday party! He was in heaven. :-)

I LOVE PEOPLE WHO LOVE MY KIDS!!! Kelly & Shelly you are awesome! A girl couldn't ask for better, more caring friends.

Self-evaluations

So this blog is about some self realizations I have made (or been made aware of -LOL) in the last few weeks.


I have come to the conclusion that I may be a friend snob. What do I mean by “friend snob”? Lately I seem to have to inject my opinion into every conversation. I don’t mean to – it just happens. If my friend’s child did something awesome…Mine did something too…If their child did something horrible… mine did something worse….I have decided I need to think before I talk. Just nod and smile. :-)

It was also pointed out to me that, when I am blogging or posting stuff on facebook, it is more glum & doom than happy & glad. I complain more than I celebrate. I have been making a huge effort to correct this. I am trying to say/post 2 happy things for every 1 complaint. Does this always work? No! LOL But I am trying! :-)

My sisters both tell me that I tend to freak-out about some things- especially medical stuff. After I thought about it for a while I realized I do tend to do that. I don’t know why…I didn’t use to-I don’t think so anyways. I think it started after my 2nd son got a little older and we were in the ER/doctor’s office a lot. I don’t know when and I don’t know why! Either way I am trying not to share my every little worry (especially medical) with everyone. I will do my research, talk to my hubby, and then tell only my mother, unless asked.

This is the end of my self-evaluation. I hope it helps someone else.