All About Bullying

[lclee]

Hi Kate,

I’m so relieved to know that I had made a right decision to withdraw my son from the tuition centre. All this while I had been thinking if my decision was too hasty but now that after I read your comments coming from a tuition teacher’s point of view, I know I did the right thing. You made a good teacher if u r still teaching. Kids under yr care will be in good hands for sure . Thank you.

[Chloe0312]

School just reopened. My dd is in new class with only some classmates from last year.There is something that is happening among these students at the canteen.


On Monday, my dd bought her food and sat with 4 of her classmates. A girl told my dd nicely to go away. She said "These are our seats, can you go away?" Then Another girl suggested my dd can sit for 5 mins with them.

Yesterday, when dd wanted to eat together with 4 of them again. All of them asked her to go away. Then they discussed among themselves and said " Let’s go somewhere else." They moved to another table and left my dd alone. So she cried alone at the table. Her friends from other class saw this and comforted her.Friendship always mean a lot to her. So I think this hurts her some way. She actually does not want me to feedback this incident to her form teacher, worrying that they will ignore her more. One of them is closer to her when in P2 class, the other 3 are top 3 people in class, a bit proud. Please advise how to help her get through this situation. I hope she could get new frens soon.

[ammonite]

Oh dear, poor girl. A few suggestions:


1. Depending on how upset she is, you can ask if anything had gone wrong in her interactions with them. If she is very upset, don’t ask.

2. Talk to her about other children in her group or sitting near her. These will be new students she does not know very well. Discuss who look nice, or friendly, chat about their personalities etc. From there, you can make casually highlight likely new friends eg E sounds like a nice easy going person!

3. If she is quite shy, discuss ice breakers and give her some help. Eg specifically give her some popular snacks to share with new friends during recess. I find marshmallows very popular and unattainable in canteen.

4. You can talk to her about how you or another older child overcome this similar problem when you were young, or at work.

Basically let her understand that this is okay, everyone experience it at some point, and suggestions on making new friends.

If the situation does not improve, you can speak to the teacher privately to help pair her up with an easy going child for seating arrangements or when queuing up.

[Chloe0312]

Thanks Ammonite.


She had been eating with a friend from another class during recess, after being rejected a few times by those 4 classmates. She seem happy but also seem like hiding her feeling. Hv to monitor her. She said her form teacher had been calling her out to do stuff for her. I think trying to make her "famous" so that new classmates will get to know her sooner.

[ammonite]

That’s great! Step by step, jiayou!

[zbear]

I heard from my colleague whose dd just entered P1 in a well known girls’ school. On the 2nd day of school, her dd witnessed a scene in the canteen whereby a gang of P1 kids bullied (hit) another girl. What is the reason - becos this girl sports very short hair n they don’t like her look.


Goodness, I am shocked that kids (especially girls) can gang bully at only P1?

[phtthp]

Is this school co-Ed, an All boys school, or all girls school ?

[mathtuition88]

zbear:

I heard from my colleague whose dd just entered P1 in a well known girls' school. On the 2nd day of school, her dd witnessed a scene in the canteen whereby a gang of P1 kids bullied (hit) another girl. What is the reason - becos this girl sports very short hair n they don't like her look.


Goodness, I am shocked that kids (especially girls) can gang bully at only P1?

I am really shocked too.
sad to hear this is happening at P1, even in a girls school.

maybe your colleague should write in to the press/newspaper if it is a really serious incident. I recall last time in RJC there was a rather dangerous orientation game called \"taupok\" (google \"Raffles JC taupok\"). After a parent wrote in to the Straits Times forum, the principal stepped in to ban the game, and it was rarely, if never, seen again.

[sembgal]

zbear:

I heard from my colleague whose dd just entered P1 in a well known girls' school. On the 2nd day of school, her dd witnessed a scene in the canteen whereby a gang of P1 kids bullied (hit) another girl. What is the reason - becos this girl sports very short hair n they don't like her look.


Goodness, I am shocked that kids (especially girls) can gang bully at only P1?

Can easily guess which is the well-known girls' schools. Those P1 girls that bullied are most likely to be from rich family background, lack of parental guidance due to busy parents and those girls were friends sine their childcare or kindergarten days. Goodness gracious! Shame on those girls.

[starlight1968sg]

sembgal:

zbear:

I heard from my colleague whose dd just entered P1 in a well known girls' school. On the 2nd day of school, her dd witnessed a scene in the canteen whereby a gang of P1 kids bullied (hit) another girl. What is the reason - becos this girl sports very short hair n they don't like her look.


Goodness, I am shocked that kids (especially girls) can gang bully at only P1?

Can easily guess which is the well-known girls' schools. Those P1 girls that bullied are most likely to be from rich family background, lack of parental guidance due to busy parents and those girls were friends sine their childcare or kindergarten days. Goodness gracious! Shame on those girls.

Shame on these little bullies. I wonder what will they become when they grow up - big bullies ???