The Boy has had an experience at school that some, no doubt, would cause bullying, or at least the beginnings of it. It’s happened once, as far as he has explained, but I don’t know if it won’t happen again. I don’t consider it bullying, and I really think it depends on the Boy’s response whether or not it could be considered that. Teasing is not bullying, even if it continues for an extended period — and it certainly isn’t if the “victim” can turn it into a game.
The issue was simple: because of E’s relatively unknown name, it often gets mispronounced. On the playground the other day, some of the kids realized that, when mispronounced, sounds like “a meal.” So they were chasing him about, saying, “We’re going to eat you because you’re a meal!” Honestly, that’s kind of a clever connection for kindergartners. The Boy, though, didn’t really like it.
Tonight, while the girls were at Polish choir practice, I got to talking to the Boy about what had happened.
“What if you turn it into a game?” I asked. I held my arm in front of his mouth and said, “Here, eat my arm, but I think it needs a little salt.”
The Boy smiled.
“You could eat my fingers, but they’re just bones.”
The Boy giggled.
“You could eat my toes, but yuck! Why would you want to?!”
The Boy laughed.
And so now, instead of fearing when it happens again, he wants to provoke them into doing it again.
From one ditch to the other…