Teach your children to be tolerant and understanding

There was a boy at my children's school who was scrawny and weedy and grotty and annoying.

His dad was tall and thin as a bean pole, his mum was squat and obese. Both unattractive and dressed daggy. They gave the impression of not having a lot of money and their son's clothes were often dirty looking and he often went without food.

My children told me this boy is picked on and teased and doesn't have many (if any) friends.

I talked to my children about this boy saying: he doesn't get to choose who his parents are, what they look like, how much money the have or don't have, what type of people they are. If his parents are neglectful he cannot go off and choose different parents. He's stuck with them. Since he's only a small child he cannot influence them either, can't recommend his mum take care of herself better or learn to love herself so she has no need to self medicate through food. Cannot make his parents become wealthy. Cannot make his parents wash his clothes more regularly or give him adequate food for school.

Nope. 
Every day he has to get up to the same old parents and his same old life until he's an adult and can make his own choices; and by then he might have learned some unsavory choices that he then passes down to his own children? Assuming he doesn't commit suicide before hand because he's so badly bullied he would rather die.

I wanted my children to know, in no uncertain terms, that they are to NEVER join in any bullying or teasing of this boy and if they see anyone doing so they're to report it or intervene. This little boy needs others to look out for him. He needs compassion and understanding.

Next time your children come home and talk about some rat-bag child at their school use this as a teachable moment! Let your children know that everyone deserves respect, and at the very least they deserve to be left alone and not harassed. Because at the end of the day we don't know their circumstances or what they're going through. If we're not here to help then we at least need to leave them alone and no add to their woes.

P.S. if there are children like this at your children's school donate a bag of clothes, give them some toys, give your children extra food to share with them, make their day a little brighter in some way.

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