My worst nightmare came true!

My son asked me last night if he could bring a toy to school and I said no. This morning, he came to me and calmly explained why he needs the toy. 1st he said that he is getting bored on the playground (rightfully so because there are no balls or things to play with, so the kids usually play tag, but since my son is fasting, he doesn't have the energy to run, so he wants something quieter).

I almost gave in and told him he can bring a coloring book to school until he told me the 2nd reason: so others will think he is special. He said that he doesn't feel special at school. I told him "Yes you are special. You are kind and smart and brave." He said, "But I don't have any talents, and you're the only person who makes me feel special".

I told him "But your teachers are always telling me how proud they are of you and how smart you are, so they see it too". He said, "But I want my friends to think I'm special". I asked "Do you feel like you're special?" he said "No". I told him his talent is that he is funny. He said, "But I'm not strong".

I told him but you're brave. I've seen you stand up for your friends when someone is hitting them." he said "but if someone hits me, I freeze and can't defend myself". Then he told me that there is a kid at school who bullies him, hits him on the head and puts him in a headlock. He said he has a friend who defends him when that happens.

I hugged him and told him "I'm sorry that happened to you". I told him that I can't be with him all the time and that he needs to learn to defend himself and speak up and stand up for himself, and he needs to believe that he is special. I don't know what to do about this. Help?

I said you don't need a toy to feel special. You need to believe that you are special, and people will see it in the way you act.

I told him one of his strengths is persistence, that he doesn't give up easily. As a strong willed child, this comes off as nagging.

Bullying among boys at school is a serious issue that can have lasting effects on the mental health and well-being of those involved. It can take many forms, including physical, verbal, and emotional abuse. Schools have a responsibility to address bullying through education, prevention, and intervention programs. It is important for parents, teachers, and other adults to be aware of the signs of bullying and to take action to stop it.

I want to go tell the teacher or supervisor what is going on, but i tried that before with another issue when my son asked me to have his seat changed because he was too shy to request it himself. The next day, the supervisor walked up to him and told him in front of everyone that his mom requested a seat change.

As for bullying, my son didn't even know the meaning of the word until I explained it to him. Lots of kids are bullies and don't even realise it because nobody educates them about it. I also learned that this bully is picked on by some other kids and retaliates by bullying the teasing kids physically, which leads to the teasing kids crying and the bully getting in trouble.

Finally, behind every bully is a scared kid who has problems at home or low self esteem. Bullies need the most love and I'm glad that at least I'm successful in making my son feel loved and special. I just wish he would be more confident in his abilities and learn to love himself and believe in himself.