How to deal with 'the meanest kid in the first grade'
By Laura Kelly
Sun-Sentinel Staff Writer
My daughter is a very active, boisterous and friendly first grader. And, it turns out, one of her male classmates is also very active, boisterous -- and very aggressive.
The last two days, Hayley came home from her extended-day program bruised and a little bloody. On Tuesday, when my mon picked her up, she had a bruise-y cut on her cheek. She said this certain boy had thrown the metal top of a toy container at her. She was holding an ice pack against it so I know an adult got involved at some point. My mom thought the cut was severe enough to warrant my placing a call to the boy's mother but I felt uncomfortable with that. I don't even know -- is that how parents deal with this these days?
On Wednesday, I picked Hayley up at extended day. Her left forearm was bloody and all scraped. She says the same boy dragged her when she wouldn't relinquish a jumprope he wanted. She said after he got the jumprope from her he left her there on the ground and returned to his friends. She laid there for awhile but no adults came to assist her. She says the boys were playing a game called "fling the jumprope at people."
I don't want to paint my daughter as a victim. I honestly think she was trying to play with the boys in her class. And she's not scared of this kid or feeling bullied or anything -- I questioned her specifically on that. She describes him as "the meanest kid in first grade" but I think she mostly likes playing with him when he's not injuring her.
Kids are going to play rough now and then. But her coming home bloody two days in a row from an aggressive act from the same boy has me nervous. I sent an email to Hayley's teacher and the manager of the school's extended-day program.
I feel like this should be brought up somewhere, somehow -- I am sure the boy's a good kid all around, but it seems he needs to be reminded that he can't physically injure his classmates for any reason. Hey, parents. Has anybody been here? What's the consensus on how to handle this?
Laura Kelly is a mother of two, ages 7 and 3. She lives in Martin County.
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