My son has been the target of bullying at school. I always believed (naively it would seem) that school would be a safe place to send my child for the day, but I am quickly learning that is not always the case.

While the bullying is being dealt with by his teacher, principal and to some extent the bully’s parents, it has taken it’s tole on my son and as a result our family.

I should mention that my son is only six and in grade one!!

When school started in September I was an anxious mess. My son was starting full day school and I worried because I wouldn’t be there if he needed me during the day. Not to mention he would now be having recess in the school yard with all these kids who were much bigger then he was. Well I needn’t have worried because he quickly fell in love with school, even opting to stay at school during lunch time in order to have more time to play with his friends. Boy was I not ready for him not to need me anymore, but that’s another story!

Things went smoothly at first (or so I thought!) until I began to hear stories from my son about a certain kid attacking him for no reason. I will admit that at first I chalked it up to just rough school yard play (having been new to the whole recess thing I didn’t know any better) until the stories became a daily occurrence. It was always the same boy and he was always attacking my son for no reason! Even coming up to him from another part of the school yard, throwing him to the ground and kicking and punching him. Where do kids come up with this behaviour and at the tender age if 6! It just seems that this boy has some sort of weird fascination with my son and just goes off on him for no reason and always when a teacher is not looking (amazing to me how early these kids learn to be sneaky!). It happens in the school yard, the classroom, the hallway, even the library. For whatever reason this kid cannot keep his hands off my son!

Well my mother bear claws came out and I marched into the Principal’s office to discuss what was happening to my son! Now at our school we have had some upheaval with respect to Principals – we are currently on our 3rd one for the year. Although the 1st Principal heard my concerns and made the boy apologize by writing a letter to my son and miss out on a couple of recesses, the attacks continued shortly there after.

By this time we were on our 2nd Principal for the year who took an entirely different approach, opting to have the bully stay in at lunchtime to learn better behaviour for the school yard until she was satisfied that he understood and wouldn’t repeat the same attacks. It seemed to work for a while until after the Christmas holiday.

Shortly after school returned, this bully began again! This time not only did I hear about it from my son but also from my son’s best friend and his mom! And I even witnessed it for myself and believe me it took all the strength I had not to throttle him!!

Once again I found myself talking to his teacher. Compounding matters is the fact that this boy is in my son’s class and they were actually friends back in kindergarten. Try explaining to your child why someone who used to be their friend suddenly turns on them!

After many conversations with my son’s teacher and her discussions with our 3rd Principal, they came up with a new plan to try and prevent my son from being hurt. Unfortunately this new plan is not working and after the latest incident – my son being choked in the hall way at school – I will be back at the school looking for some answers yet again. To say that I am frustrated is an understatement!

My son is no longer the same happy go lucky boy he once was and it breaks my heart! No one should have to deal with a bully never mind doing it at 6!

Have any of you had similar problems with your children? How were they handled/resolved?

I can’t believe Christmas Eve is here!  The closer we have gotten to the big day, the more excited the kids have gotten.  I have too but with a little bit of sadness mixed in.

I am happy and blessed that I have a happy and healthy family and that we can all get together to celebrate in various forms over the next few days.  But I am a mix of emotions as well because we won’t be celebrating our little angel’s First Christmas.  Having already had two Firsts, I know how special they are and am a little wistful that we won’t be having another one.  But at the same time I am excited to share this special time with my children and see the magic of the season through their eyes.  Christmas really is all about the kids and it’s so much fun!!

So I will be smiling through the tears (Christmas music makes my cry on a good day lol) and enjoying every minute of the next few days while at the same time remembering our little angel.  Told you I was a mix of emotions.

On a happier note, the kids are going to be jumping for joy tomorrow night when they open their gifts from Grandma and Grandpa.  I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces when they see what their grandparents have in store for them come January!  Sorry folks but it has to remain a secret until the kids find out and then I can shout it from the roof tops!!

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and may the magic of the holiday season stay with you through the New Year.

I love the holidays.  Always have but now that I have children I love it even more.  The one thing I don’t love is the stress involved in getting ready.  Every year I vow to be more organized when it comes to getting ready for Christmas and every year I fail, especially since having children.  But since I want the holidays to be happy memories for my children, full of family time and traditions, I am determined to be organized and ready to go by December 1st.  This way we can all enjoy the month of December without being stressed!

In our house we have always had an advent calendar and not a character one with chocolate, but one with the whole nativity scene.  It’s always been important to me to teach my children the real meaning of Christmas and to include Santa as an extra bonus.

I first came across the idea of the Family Activity Advent Calendar when I saw it in the November issue of Canadian Family.  Then I got more excited about the idea when I read Andrea (aka @missfish) at a peek inside the fishbowl ‘s post on the 25 Days of Christmas Challenge.  I thought it was a great way to enjoy all the days leading up to the big one, while at the same time teaching my kids that Christmas is not all about Santa!

I have already made up all the little envelopes and am ready to fill them up with these activities (in no particular order):

1. Go to the market and pick out our Christmas tree

2. Decorate our tree and house

3. Write and mail letters to Santa

4. Think of 10 things we are thankful for and post them where we can seem them

5. Take the new toys we have bought to Toy Mountain

6. Make paper chains and snowflakes to decorate the kids tree

7. Decorate a gingerbread house

8. Make kitchen gifts to give to family

9. Take a trip to see the lights on Parliament Hill

10. Make Christmas cookies

11. Light the 2nd candle on the Advent Wreath and read the story that goes with it

12. Snuggle up with some hot chocolate and read Christmas stores under the tree

13. Make bread for our neighbours and deliver

14. Watch a Christmas Movie for Family Movie Night

15. Sing and dance to Christmas music

16. Visit Santa at the mall

17. Hang outside lights and decorations

18 Light the 3rd candle on the Advent Wreath and read the story that goes with it

19. Attend a Christmas service at Church

20. Do a special Christmas craft

21. Make snow angels

22. Buy food and bring it to the Food Bank

23. Set up the Creche

24. Enjoy Christmas Eve dinner and presents at Oma’s, then set out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots and water for the reindeer.

25. Christmas Day!  Remember you have a family who loves you. And that’s the most important gift of all.

Most of these activities are ones my family and I already do during the month of December and others are “borrowed” from others lists.  Check out these list from A little bit of Momsense, and Thoughts from a Lite Mocha Mom .

Would love to know if you are going to take the challenge.