Zane got beat up at school. I couldn’t believe my ears when he told the story of his day on the playground. He was calm and collected as he spoke. It didn’t seem to phase him much. He’s such a level-headed child.
At recess, a child his age thought Zane had thrown something at his back. If you know Zane, you know he’d never do that. This child thought he did, though, and proceeded to chase him around the playground, tried to push his head in a muddy puddle, then put him in a headlock and beat his head and face with his fists.
As you can imagine, I was shocked by this story. I asked what he did when this was happening. He said he just tried to get away and did elbow the kid which helped him get loose. Where were the adults on the playground I don’t know? And why didn’t they contact me when this happened?
I used this as a teaching moment. I told him what he did was right. Do what you can to get away. Only if you’re in fear for your life should you do anything more than that, or if you’re getting your ass beat. If you can get away and tun to an adult, do so. He’s only in 5th grade! Obviously our advice may change as he grows up, but for now, that’s how we feel he should handle things. He did the right thing.
He told the teacher, the kid went to the principles office, beyond that I don’t know what happened to the kid. I do know that he tried to make it out that it was Zane’s fault but Zane had witnesses that backed up his side of the story. I emailed Zane’s teacher right away and she replied she was sorry she didn’t get to me before he got home.
I was satisfied with her response and their plan to keep Zane protected and the two kids away from each other, but I am NOT happy that no one was supervising this and that the school didn’t contact me right away. This is an elementary school, for Pete’s sake! We aren’t talking about high school or even middle school. These are little kids still and it’s the last thing I thought we’d have to deal with.
Zane seems okay. Really, he does. He is such a resilient boy. Having said that, I know that did affect him because you can’t not be affected by violence. What a crying shame our children aren’t safe at school. From bullies, sometimes from teachers, and by school shootings. It breaks my heart. Such a sad world we live in. Yes, there’s good in it… always look for the good, but there’s also this sad, dark reality, too.
All we can do is prepare our children as best we can, and pray, pray, pray.
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