First grader suspended for

[knitster]

We wouldn't want that would we. I mean they are only 6, too early to learn to behave!

word.

 

[goofy!]

We wouldn't want that would we. I mean they are only 6, too early to learn to behave!

The 'the poor dears are only x" philosophy always cracks me up.

My dog understands the word "no". And I am pretty sure that a 6 year old is smarter than my dog. So, if he had been told "no" on numerous occasions and to stop doing something, he should be capable of understanding it.

Oh, and for all of those who think 6 year olds are young and innocent - go spend a few weeks on a playground with them

 

[knitster]

The 'the poor dears are only x" philosophy always cracks me up.

My dog understands the word "no". And I am pretty sure that a 6 year old is smarter than my dog. So, if he had been told "no" on numerous occasions and to stop doing something, he should be capable of understanding it.

Oh, and for all of those who think 6 year olds are young and innocent - go spend a few weeks on a playground with them

For real. My six year old will give you a run for your money!

My six year old will also be the first to point out if she ever hears someone curse, or sees someone wearing something inappropriate, etc and she's been that way for at least 2 years. Anyone who thinks a 6 year old can't be taught to discern right from wrong is not living in reality.

 

[alex9179]

First of all, I can't believe a parent would let their 6 year old child listen to that kind of music and secondly - once again - I'm so glad I homeschool.

I wouldn't be surprised if he heard the song from the M&M's commercial, so don't be too quick to blame his parents for intentionally letting him listen to that song.

My son, also a first grader, was singing this on the way to bed last night. I looked at my husband with a "where did he hear that!?" We don't even listen to the stations that would play this song. He reminded me of the commercial. In the hour or so they watch TV, he was able to remember this song.

I think the school went a bit overboard, but then I don't know about his other discipline issues. The punishment and charge don't sound age appropriate.

Edit: just read that the school isn't the one yelling sexual harrassment. Yeah, repeat offenders get a stiffer sentence. He would NOT be enjoying his suspension if he were my kid!

 

[declansdad]

Since he was all ready disciplined for this he know it was wrong and the suspension is justified.

As for the first graders going to the principal's comment, I know lots of first graders who never get sent to the principal's office.

 

[Bonnie151]

I'm not convinced suspension is the best response by the school given that his mother seems to think he's being unfairly punished. I'm doubtful that she'll properly reinforce the message at home. OK she says she's going to explain what the song means but otherwise, "it's like not fair...."

What 6 year old boy wouldn't love to not have to go to school! I think it would have been better to come up with another type of in school discipline.

 

[sparklynails23]

The 'the poor dears are only x" philosophy always cracks me up.

My dog understands the word "no". And I am pretty sure that a 6 year old is smarter than my dog. So, if he had been told "no" on numerous occasions and to stop doing something, he should be capable of understanding it.

Oh, and for all of those who think 6 year olds are young and innocent - go spend a few weeks on a playground with them

You're not one of the women who think they're stocking you in the restroom, are you?

I don't see why the kid was punished at all-- for singing and dancing? He didn't even swear. He should try the other line, "I work out," and strike a muscle pose.

 

[declansdad]

You're not one of the women who think they're stocking you in the restroom, are you?

I don't see why the kid was punished at all-- for singing and dancing? He didn't even swear. He should try the other line, "I work out," and strike a muscle pose.

He was punished because he had been told earlier that what he was doing wasn't appropriate. It isn't too early for him to learn there are consequences to his actions.

 

[sparklynails23]

He was punished because he had been told earlier that what he was doing wasn't appropriate. It isn't too early for him to learn there are consequences to his actions.

Suspending a 1st grader for singing and dancing a second time? Come on. Do you have kids?

That's a cute song. My son goes to a religious school and all the kids know it. Didn't they perform it on the Grammy's or one of the awards shows, too?

 

[knitster]

A 6 year old describing himself as 'sexy' is cute? Can we say over sexualization of children?!

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

I have no problem with the kid being punished, especially since this wasn't a first time offense.

However, I have never understood why schools seem to think keeping a kid home from school is a punishment to them. I highly doubt this kid is going to be upset about staying home and will most likely continue with behavior that leads to this "punishment."

 

[Family Fun Mom]

This is the most ridiculous thing I have heard in a long time. The offense is nowhere near worthy of a suspension. Yes, he was told once before, BIG DEAL. I often feel like a broken record with my kids, correcting the same behavior over and over, especially with young children (and 6 is very young). Sometimes it takes more than once for a lesson to sink in. My dog understands the word "no" as well but he still tries to get away with things he knows he shouldn't do. So do most kids. When M&Ms strip off their candy shells and dance to a song about being sexy it makes it awfully hard to explain to a 6 year old why it's inappropriate. You might have to correct the behavior a few times. No biggie. I don't see how an unexpected vacation from school is going to solve the problem.

Calling this sexual harrassment and bullying is insane! We are creating an entire generation of crybaby wimps with our overreactions to frivolous crap like this.

 

[luvmy3]

This is the most ridiculous thing I have heard in a long time. The offense is nowhere near worthy of a suspension. Yes, he was told once before, BIG DEAL. I often feel like a broken record with my kids, correcting the same behavior over and over, especially with young children (and 6 is very young). Sometimes it takes more than once for a lesson to sink in. My dog understands the word "no" as well but he still tries to get away with things he knows he shouldn't do. So do most kids. When M&Ms strip off their candy shells and dance to a song about being sexy it makes it awfully hard to explain to a 6 year old why it's inappropriate. You might have to correct the behavior a few times. No biggie. I don't see how an unexpected vacation from school is going to solve the problem.

Calling this sexual harrassment and bullying is insane! We are creating an entire generation of crybaby wimps with our overreactions to frivolous crap like this.

Well for parents who actually do discipline their child, it wouldn't be a vacation. As for this kid, doesn't sound like his mom is that kind of mom, so you are probably right he will continue to do it. So what is the answer, give him a good talking to every time he does it, and hope that some day he gets it? Or make the punishment at school severe enough so that maybe he get it the first time. I'm a supporter of the latter because I've seen enough kids who aren't disciplined at school (or at home) and even at age 12 they aren't getting it.
And sorry but I wouldn't call a child sticking his butt in a girl's face and singing a song that he got in trouble for singing to her before, as frivolous. Its bad behavior, it may not be true sexual harrassment, or bullying, but its certainly not frivolous. Nip it in the bud at least at school. Suspension = him not being there to do it again, let him do it at home to his mom. Happy vacation for them.

 

[declansdad]

Suspending a 1st grader for singing and dancing a second time? Come on. Do you have kids?

That's a cute song. My son goes to a religious school and all the kids know it. Didn't they perform it on the Grammy's or one of the awards shows, too?

Yes I do and if my son had been disciplined before for something that he was told was inappropriate and he did it again, I would expect the discipline would escalate. We don't know what this boy did other than what was in the short article. I, for one, would think the school had its reason for suspension.

 

[declansdad]

This is the most ridiculous thing I have heard in a long time. The offense is nowhere near worthy of a suspension. Yes, he was told once before, BIG DEAL. I often feel like a broken record with my kids, correcting the same behavior over and over, especially with young children (and 6 is very young). Sometimes it takes more than once for a lesson to sink in. My dog understands the word "no" as well but he still tries to get away with things he knows he shouldn't do. So do most kids. When M&Ms strip off their candy shells and dance to a song about being sexy it makes it awfully hard to explain to a 6 year old why it's inappropriate. You might have to correct the behavior a few times. No biggie. I don't see how an unexpected vacation from school is going to solve the problem.

Calling this sexual harrassment and bullying is insane! We are creating an entire generation of crybaby wimps with our overreactions to frivolous crap like this.

Based on what was posted by the OP, the school wasn't the one to call this sexual harrassment, the author of the article did.

If my son was suspended, the time spent at home wouldn't be a vacation. Parents need to be part of the solution and alllowing little Johny to stay ant home and play with his PlayStation is helping to reinforce the discipline.

 

[sunshinehighway]

Based on what was posted by the OP, the school wasn't the one to call this sexual harrassment, the author of the article did.

Is it really bullying though?

If the kid had been told not to do it before, then yes, he should be disciplined. A suspension for bullying is a little overboard.

The mom shouldn't be going to the media. The boy needs to learn to listen when he's told not to do something.

 

[Art 1]

You're not one of the women who think they're stocking you in the restroom, are you?

I don't see why the kid was punished at all-- for singing and dancing? He didn't even swear. He should try the other line, "I work out," and strike a muscle pose.

Yes, he was told not to sing and dance, he didn't listen. He should have been paddled. But that's a topic for another day.

 

[goofy!]

You're not one of the women who think they're stocking you in the restroom, are you?

I don't see why the kid was punished at all-- for singing and dancing? He didn't even swear. He should try the other line, "I work out," and strike a muscle pose.

Like stocking grocery shelves? No, I don't think anybody is trying to put me on a shelf in the restroom. Maybe stocking toilet paper and paper towels, but people? Never heard of that. I am a bit confused over what you are asking?

 

[goofy!]

Suspending a 1st grader for singing and dancing a second time? Come on. Do you have kids?

That's a cute song. My son goes to a religious school and all the kids know it. Didn't they perform it on the Grammy's or one of the awards shows, too?

He was harassing a little girl. He was told to stop and leave her alone and punished for it previously.

He did not stop. He continued to harass the little girl, this time upping the ante and shaking his butt in her face.

In our world, when you tell a child to knock it off, that you are bothering somebody and they don't like it, it is harassment when they continue to repeat the same behavior.

In school punishment did not stop this little boy from harassing his classmate, so they had to step up the punishment.

It was not about singing a song, it was about the way he was singing it and harassing another student with it. In other words, bullying this little girl. He knew it bothered her, he was told to knock it off, he was punished when he did not knock it off, he continued bothering her, so he was suspended.

 

[smitch425]

I think he should have gotten an in-school suspension. I think it would have been much more effective to send him to school but separate him from his classmates during lunch and keep him in the timeout room during recess.

I have my own experience with this song. When it first came out, we would switch the channel, but it was being used so much on tv and the radio that we allowed the kids to listen to it when it was on, but explained to them that it used some inappropriate words. They understood that they were not to say them--ever.

Well...a few weeks ago, someone in my son's first grade class started singing the song. My DS said to the kid, "You're not supposed to say the word sexy. It is an inappropriate word." Then all of the kids at the table started saying to my DS "You just said it" and started pointing and laughing at him. Well...DS had a complete meltdown, and it took his teacher 5 minutes to get him to calm down enough to figure out why he was sobbing. When she finally got him to the point that he could speak well enough to be understood, he told her what had happened, only instead of saying the word, he spelled it. She let him know that he was not in trouble and that he did the right thing in telling the other student that it was inappropriate.

When she told me what had happened, she led off with "Do you know the song they play on that cute little M&M commercial..."

So I tell you all of that, to say this...

Some of the comments in this thread are offensive to me as a parent. I let my kids listen to the song, and that does NOT make me a bad parent. What makes someone a bad parent is them not teaching their child right from wrong. I have open dialogue with my children about everything. If they do not follow the rules, then they will get the appropraite punishment. We do not use swear words--ever, but we do listen to music that has them in the lyrics on occasion. My kids know what is repeatable and what is not. Shielding them from everything bad does a child no good. You teach them right from wrong and take the appropriate action if they choose not to do the right thing.

BTW, DS has made his own lyrics to this song--verses and chorus. His chorus is "I'll text you and you'll know it."