Years ago when l was teaching at an international school in Bangkok, a mate told me of a similar story he heard while on yard duty. He noticed one little guy on some play ground equipment singing to himself. Intrigued as to the song he sauntered over to hear the little guy of about 5 - 6 singing, “Sex bomb, sex bomb, you’re a sex bomb.”
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Haha, that’s great!
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Mummy, why are you Heff’s girl?
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That question was asked too. Had to brush that one off.
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Sitting in front of young siblings at the Storm game.
(To Penrith): “You’re dumb!”
“Don’t say that.”
“It was by accident.”
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Haven’t been here for a while but little miss 10 has brought me back. On the subject of US Presidents - “President LinkedIn” . Nearly drove off the great Ocean road laughing
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I don’t have kids, but l used to like stopping off on the way home at a little restaurant in Toorak Village called Romeo’s for a Marinara pasta. One night as l was paying, a little girl of about 8 asked the guy behind the cash register:
G: Are you Romeo?
M: Yes, l am.
G: Well you must be pleased with yourself then.
That cracked not only me, but anyone else who heard it. The guy was nonplussed at first, having been so completely disarmed, but then also laughed.
Sometimes a comma is really important 
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Too true. Edited now.
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Heff11 is getting teased by the bully of the year level. Nothing major but enough for Heff11 to raise it with me and ask for advice.
So I told Heff11 to tell the bully he doesn’t like what he’s saying and to ■■■■ off. Heff11 is very rules oriented and reckons he can’t tell him to ■■■■ off. The rest of the response to the bully seems less effective without it.
I’ve read the school policy on safe talking rooms, mediation etc etc.
So, has anyone had a positive experience engaging with a school to address a bully situation using approaches unlike my first suggestion?
This worked in a movie as well
It’s bloody tough. The easiest thing ( if you’re not the one being bullied) is to say ‘ignore it’ or laugh it off’ and that may work, but it may not and could just as easily cause an escalation.
It’s been a long time since my boys were in school and I can’t recall then experiencing bullying but my advice would be to get the school involved. At least if they are aware they can keep an eye out and intervene if appropriate.
Also does he have an older friend that perhaps could intervene?
Kids can be bloody cruel.
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Im smacked the living ■■■■ out of my school bully.
Didn’t stop for about 4 years. One day I just snapped and put him through a locker door.
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Thanks @Darli . I’m keen for Heff11 to take steps so he can speak to his teacher. We practiced the conversation last night. I’m also keen to raise the boys to not be bystanders so irrespective of what is happening to him personally, if he sees or hears bullying behaviour I would love for them to stand up - that can take many forms, and my first instinct in dealing it with probably needs to be tempered.
Let’s see how the school reacts after being informed. Although from my perspective, if Heff11 tells the bully to ■■■■ off if he bullies him, no punishment will come his way from me.
I was bullied twice in primary school because I had an ethnic background. First time was confusing because I was born in Australia so couldn’t understand why I was being harassed for not being “Australian.” Second time I realised it wasnt going to stop, so clocked them right in the guts. Then pulled her hair.
I told mum. She’s a fierce woman, had to stop her going into for the final count.
I was never harassed, teased or bullied again.
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To be totally honest, that feels like the right approach.
My second eldest used to wait in a restaurant after school, sometimes I Myki quite late. He had to wear a purple shirt and tie. The local gangs who hung around on the corner would tease him on his way home … along the lines on ’ ohhh look at the little pansy in his purple shirt"
My boy, who was never backward coming forward called back ’ that’s little pansy in a purple shirt WITH A JOB’ as he bolted for home 
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Bless him 
Yep, after I made a mess of this one ■■■■■ face I was never targeted again.
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Good luck with that. Our daughter was getting bitten at the creche she was in.
We talked to the manager expecting she would do something about the biter.
Nup. She just said she “must have a victim mentality” and the biter had his rights. FFS and WTAF?
So we took her out of that place.
Two outcomes to mention:
That creche closed the next year [not just due to our boycott).
Our daughter has displayed no signs of “victim mentality”, and is now a VP at a Bay Area tech company.
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