Dear yayas,
I have one son who is 7. The class lists just came out for the new school year and there are two children in my son’s class that don’t get along with him. They were really rude to him last year and it felt like they targeted him. My son would come home crying over how awful they were to him. I’m nervous to share the class list with him because I don’t want him to freak out when he sees that those two kids are in his class. What should I do? Should I request for him to be transferred to a different class? Should I just tell him? Help!
– Unsure Mama
Dear Unsure Mama, Children should be in a healthy and happy learning environment. Of course everyone has a bad day here and there, but coming home in tears day after day is not okay. As an educator, I know that teachers make the class lists for the next year with classroom dynamics in mind. Did you have conversations last year with his teacher about the incidents with the other two children? I would discuss the classroom placement with your son and take his reaction into consideration with your next move. If you still feel uneasy after speaking to your son I would talk to the administration before the school year starts. If changes can’t be made with his classroom placement it I would take charge and make a school change. – Bernie
I just pulled my daughter out of a school where she was being bullied. I would tell him and request that he be moved to a different class. – Nadia
Dear Unsure Mama, I would be interested to know what was done to resolve this in the previous class. There is a gift in giving your child the opportunity to communicate and learn the social skills needed as he grows. That being said, you as his mama know what is best for him. Go with what you intuitively feel. – Taren
Trust your intuition – share the list with your son, talk it over with him, and then contact the school to discuss changing classes. You’ll all feel better and you’ll know that you’ve done everything you can to set your son up for success to start this school year. – Diana
That’s hard. Our family homeschools for reasons similar to your example (and many, many others). Perhaps you can gather information first: discuss it with BOTH your son and the school. Go off his reaction but also make your concerns known to the teachers and administration. Maybe they aren’t aware of the situation from last year. Maybe they are. Ask them what their approach/theories are in handling these types of situations. The more you can obtain in writing, the better. I hate to come across as paranoid, but you might need a paper trail to support your requests to change classes. Decide how you feel about their answers and make changes from there. Mama intuition is very strong — trust it. When our children are so young, we are their biggest advocate. It sounds like you are willing and able to step into that role and do what is best for your son. Good on you, mama. – Lori Beth