A little backstory... A few years ago DD had a problem with a neighbor girl (she lives across the street and down about 5 houses). Seems the girl (I'll call her K) thought our rules were too strict and liked to tease our DD about them, it was so stupid, but K got a kick out of it I guess (K is a year older, so our DD was not allowed to do some of the same things this K did). K would come to our house, invite DD outside to play, then talk mean to her and make fun of her. One day I heard K, so I told her not to come to our house if she couldn't play nicely. She backed off for awhile, but then started having other kids come to the door to ask for DD to come outside and play, and would again tease and make fun of DD. The last time it happened got pretty nasty, she stood across the street from our driveway and yelled ugly things at our DD. Our DD tried to ignore her, but the girl just kept finding ways to get in DD's face. The last straw came when K asked our next-door neighbor girl to help her get our DD outside, the neighbor girl felt bad about it and told her Mom, who came to us and explained what happened. K was still outside across the street taunting my DD and I went out and told her to go home, she drove her bike into the street and kicked the side of older DD's car as she went by. I called her parents and told them what happened (we'd always been friendly up to that point) and I was totally blown away when they said they didn't believe me and their DD would never act that way. I told them to talk to my neighbor then, and they did and accused them of lying also. Even with 2 adults telling this mom what had happened, she called us liars.
So, since then K has mostly kept away. Since she is a year older she went to a different school last year, but now this year her and DD are back going to the same school. The problem is that they ride the bus together and now K has started up again and has other kids on the bus taunting my DD. School has only been back for 3 weeks and she is already making it so that DD hates getting on the bus.
What advice would you give to your child? DH is in the camp of "just keep ignoring her". He thinks the girl will get bored and move on. I don't think she will get bored anytime soon because of her past actions, she has proven to me that her mean streak can go on for extended lengths of time and she will go out of her way to find new ways to do it.
Should our DD ignore her or stand up to her? I don't know, but I do know that I am tired of this already. The bus driver should have retired years ago, so she's no help, she ignores the kids and lets them do whatever they want.
The bus stops in front of our next-door neighbors house and last year K would stand in that driveway and wait for the bus. This year she stands across the street and makes faces at DD. This morning I had the puppy outside and I looked across the street and there she was, smirking away. Then she looked at me and laughed. What a brat!
The sad thing is her and DD were friends for years, but one time DD had to ask me permission to do something when K didn't have to ask her own parents and that is when she started calling DD names and it's only gotten worse since then. The funny part is that what K likes to tease DD about is the only thing that is probably saving K. DD is much taller and bigger than K and could probably hurt her very easily, but that is one of our rules, you never hit anyone. I can't believe this has gone on for so long, the girl just won't let DD be.
What you you tell your child?
So, since then K has mostly kept away. Since she is a year older she went to a different school last year, but now this year her and DD are back going to the same school. The problem is that they ride the bus together and now K has started up again and has other kids on the bus taunting my DD. School has only been back for 3 weeks and she is already making it so that DD hates getting on the bus.
What advice would you give to your child? DH is in the camp of "just keep ignoring her". He thinks the girl will get bored and move on. I don't think she will get bored anytime soon because of her past actions, she has proven to me that her mean streak can go on for extended lengths of time and she will go out of her way to find new ways to do it.
Should our DD ignore her or stand up to her? I don't know, but I do know that I am tired of this already. The bus driver should have retired years ago, so she's no help, she ignores the kids and lets them do whatever they want.
The bus stops in front of our next-door neighbors house and last year K would stand in that driveway and wait for the bus. This year she stands across the street and makes faces at DD. This morning I had the puppy outside and I looked across the street and there she was, smirking away. Then she looked at me and laughed. What a brat!
The sad thing is her and DD were friends for years, but one time DD had to ask me permission to do something when K didn't have to ask her own parents and that is when she started calling DD names and it's only gotten worse since then. The funny part is that what K likes to tease DD about is the only thing that is probably saving K. DD is much taller and bigger than K and could probably hurt her very easily, but that is one of our rules, you never hit anyone. I can't believe this has gone on for so long, the girl just won't let DD be.
What you you tell your child?
