An Ode To Bullies

By Douglas V. Gibbs

Here's to those lunch money stealing bullies that have visited us throughout our lives. They have tormented us to the point that we have become fighting mad. Dad says to stand up for ourselves, so we did. And in the end the experiences we had regarding bullies made us stronger. A bully, after all, is nothing more than another storm in our lives. Like all of the other experiences we encounter, the bully serves to challenge us, and remind us that life is not fair, and there are people out there determined to knock us down. However, they can only knock us down if we allow them to.

We have spent so much time teaching our children that they are precious little angels, and shielding them anytime they meet obstacles, that bullies have become something more than an annoyance. Terrible anxiety, and sometimes suicide, accompanies a meeting with a bully, in today's politically correct, touchy-feelie world. After being told they are special and the world is their oyster, our children are ill-equipped to handle the rigors of life when it is filled with bullies.

People have cried out to the government hoping to stop the bullying. Political Correctness has kicked in, and now even a little Kick Me gag results in suspension from school. We tremble and cry for our precious little children, demanding that the bullying must stop.

And through the tears we fail to realize that the bully is exactly what our children need, if they are to become stronger in the long run.

Bullying can be painful. Often bullies use techniques that we prefer our children be shielded from. Bullying can be physical, verbal, relational, and even all three together. And as a parent, we desire to put a stop to the bullying. Sometimes, that is necessary. Sometimes the bully goes too far, and for the safety of children it needs to be stopped.

Sometimes, however, despite our best intentions, we try too hard to shield our children from emotional pain. But we should want our children to feel some emotional pain every once in a while. Their lives with us in our homes are short-lived, and during that time children need to experience emotional pain while we are available as parents to support and teach them. Through these experiences, our children ultimately become more resilient.

When a child is bullied in school, the pain of going through that storm helps them build their resiliency. When they realize they can come to their parents to receive some help, they become even stronger. Children learn they can get through the situation when parents are available, and that prepares them to handle similar difficulties when their parents are no longer there. They gain strength and discover they are capable. Storms in life build character, and resiliency.

Facing challenges equips children to deal with difficult situations, fostering resilience, and helping them to recognize that sometimes life can be hard.

These challenges in life also make our children better problem solvers. Today's society is filled with people who can't figure out for themselves the best strategies, but facing real problems as a child prepares them for the more difficult situations they will be bound to face as adults.

Encountering bullies, and surviving the test, also teaches children to be less of a target by showing them to stand tall, maintain eye-contact, and walk with confidence.

If our children can make it through the trial of a bully, the rest of life will seem a little less intimidating.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary