Kids can be so cruel without knowing. Today I weep for a little 6 year old boy who stammers. His mum wrote on a support group site some time ago.
He was speaking out in class and got stuck on his words, normally he is fine but it is coming up to his birthday and he is all excited, and that can make his speech that bit more bumpy. And so the kids laughed, mimicked and thought the whole episode rather funny. The teacher had to put a stop to the laughter. That poor little man went home and cried, not understanding why everyone thought it so funny. He is only 6.
He hurt inside, he burned and sobbed to sleep that night. As a parent there is nothing worse, absolutely nothing. We want to go in there and fight their battles but we know we have to shape them to be able to stand strong and fight their own corners. But mum went to the school, had a chat to the teacher and made this little man’s world a better place. The other kids had thought he was just being silly and doing it on purpose. So the teacher had a relaxed chat with the class the next day, and let the kids know that not everyone talks the same way, this little boy speaks a little bumpy especially if all excited, sometimes he struggles and it isn’t kind to laugh.
Some parents even made their kids apologise once they knew what had happened, to those parents they should definitely receive a gold star. Teaching not just compassion but inclusion shouldn’t be out of the ordinary.
We need to shape a better future for all our children, we need to raise confident happy children who are able to recognise differences and be comfortable in their own skin.
Mum-atron At Work 