This Is Why We Need Disney World......

[Stacerita]

My daughter is such an awesome, inspiring kid. She is gradually losing her sight due to a retinal disease (RP) and over the past 3 years has gone to now using a white cane, getting mobility training, and learning Braille (impressively fast), and learning how to do so many other things with reduced vision. Whenever I think of how she was made to feel, degraded and humiliated by these two kids I feel like I want to bawl!! She is the LAST person I would have thought to be picked on because she really has such a high self esteem, she knows she is just a God given blessing to us. Kids can just be so cruel, though.

to all the bullies out there and hugs and love to the victims.

She told me she didn't want to tell me because she knew it would upset me (well....YA!!) She said she thought all they could do was bruise her up a bit and she could handle that.

You DD is an amazing kid. In spite of what those kids were putting her through she still was worried about you. And after reading how she has taken to braille and been dealing with her reduced vision issues just is inspiring. I am sure to be retelling this story to the sweetpea. Shes not a bully, and she doesn't get bullied, but it will make her more aware of how important it is to stand up for others.

 

[Hannathy]

I'm glad your school is helping your daughter but just a for warning GIRLS are nasty don't be surprised if these brats don't start with the verbal nastiness.
even if your sweetie didn't have vision difficulties many girls are picked on by other girls sometimes in very subtle but still mean ways. My DD was picked on in kindergarten yes kindergarten 'cause she had on a Minnie sweatshirt, they told her it was for babies. Good luck and have fun on your trip ! Maybe she could "accidently" start wapping them with her cane!!

 

[LegoMom3]

I just read your post and then saw your picture, and this has brought tears to my eyes....It makes me mad and sad and outraged all at the same time. I have kids, and my 9 yr. old DS has experienced bullying (though not to this extent) so my heart goes out to you. I am glad, however, that the school did something about it. I pray your family has a truly magical time at WDW this spring! Enjoy the World and enjoy each other, and give your kids an extra big hug!!!!

 

[Beth E. (NJ)]

How awful for your daughter. I'm so glad the school handled it. I hope your daughter has nothing but bright skys ahead.

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

I hate, hate, hate the whole bullying thing. Kids have to go to school - we adults tell them they have no choice, so we adults need to make sure that they are safe. I'm tearing up thinking of your daughter, and am glad that your school is taking this seriously enough to make sure it stops.

IMO making sure kids aren't bullied should be at the top of the list for every school. For too many kids, by the time they get to high school, their lives are like Lord of the Flies. Stop it in elementary school, and make sure it stays stopped!!!

 

[Soccerpooh]

My heart goes out to you and your daughter. I know exactly how you feel. My oldest DS is MIMH after suffering brain damage from contracting Viral Encephalytis at 4 mos. I worry so much when he is at school. The teachers are so great to him, and there are the kids who really help him and look out for him, but then there are those few who like to tease and take advantage of him. He is finally telling us when something happens. Like you, I love Disney because it is an escape, and there are no bullies at Disney! I am so glad your daughter has a great self esteem, that will really carry her thru a lot in the coming years. Keep up the great parenting!! Pixie Dust for all of you!

 

[Nancyg56]

My heart is breaking for you and your DD. I am so glad that your DD's school did not drop the ball on this one. My DS was the victim of bullying back when schools pretended that it did not happen, and it is heartwrenching. My DS also tried to protect me and I found out because the bus driver was a friend of my sister.

to you and your precious daughter.

 

[2tinkersmom]

Your daughters are both such beautiful girls! I am so sorry that she had to go through this whole thing and like others have said as a mom I feel so badly for you as well.

Keep telling her how wonderful, beautiful and strong she is. I try to encourage my two girls every day here at home because they do face such awful stuff at school sometimes.

It is a shame that bullying has become such an issue. And I think our kids don't always recognize it as a wrong behavior. They know going with a stranger is wrong, they know to respect teachers, they know to look when crossing a street..........but I don't think our schools make them aware enough of how terribly their words and actions can be so very harmful to another person.

My oldest is recently wanting to be on the computer and is talking about having her own email address. I keep saying not yet because I am so worried about all the things we're hearing about cyber bullying with teens through email and websites.

And unfortunately a lot of school bullying and now bullying on the computer happens because parents aren't paying attention to how their kids are treating other people. I hope we can all become more aware of this.

Have a wonderful, magical time in Disney. I hope both your girls feel like true princesses while you are there!!

 

[grimley1968]

Grimley, Thanks for your perspective. My DS is 6 years old and has the most wonderful outgoing personality. He wears bilateral hearing aids and is so positive about them. Anytime another kid makes any comments about his aids (positive or negative) he proceeds to explain what the aids are for and why he needs them. So far we haven't faced anything physical though. Maybe, my DH needs to teach him how to box! However, sometimes words can hurt as much or more as something physical.

Your DS will be fine, although there probably will always be some ignorant people who will make fun mostly because they are ignorant about the situation. Many of those types of people, once they learn about the entire situation, have become friends of mine over the years, even though they were once bullies. But then there are some bullies, like the OP's situation who sound absolutely hateful despite probably knowing the full situation. Thick glasses and a small stick should make it obvious to anyone that her DD has vision problems. It honestly makes one nearly sick to the stomach to think anyone, even a kid, would take advantage of that. I'm glad to hear her school was so supportive of her. I didn't realize her DD actually carried a stick around until one of her later posts, so the original post just became all the more disturbing when I found that out, knowing how obvious a symbol of weakened vision that is. However, she sounds like an amazing and strong little girl who will probably become stronger from this experience. But it had to be tough at that time.

Maybe I was also bullied because at one time I looked not totally unlike my "Ed Grimley" photo on the left? A couple of decades and a lot of weight changed all that though.

One thing that made things easier for me, and tougher in some ways, was that my ears are surgically repairable (to an extent) and I never really needed hearing aids, and they wouldn't have helped me much anyway. My problem was more getting sound to travel beyond my middle ear, which hearing aids can't really address much. I didn't need amplification so much as a "redirection" of sound around some badly formed middle ear parts, which surgery helps with somewhat. The surgery was revolutionary when I was your DS's age and required a week-long stay at a Memphis hospital. Now it's outpatient surgery that can be done in most regional hospitals. So I didn't have visible hearing aids for people to see and understand; they just noticed I didn't respond to them right away sometimes. So most of the teasing I got was based on my different "personality", which was a little bit different than one who can hear things correctly the first, 2nd and 3rd time it's said.

 

[missymagic]

I also an very sorry to hear how these girls were being horrible to your daughter. Your daughter gained courage by eventually telling you I pray she keeps that courage and she can come to you again should anything ever happen.

The pixie dust won't cure the cruelty of children but helps them to forget temporarily. I know I try to tell my girls to help other that are in situations like that or at least tell another adult these things are happening. May you have a wonderful trip to Disney an dyour board family is always here for you to vent or get advice!!

 

[Lives4Disney]

You all are so kind!

I told my daughter everybody sends her hugs and also thinks it was just awful how she was treated and made to feel. (she was embarrassed that I posted, but I can't even really tell my friends because I know they will be so sad & she will be embarrassed if they know! I needed to vent - hope nobody from our town sees this!!!! )

My daughter is so wonderful. She didn't want the kids to get in "Hot soup" (as she put it) but wanted their behavior stopped. She feels good that it is over and done. She feels validated that the school took her seriously and she feels safe because it really seems to have ended. There are so many great people that work at her school and look out for her (nice kids look out for her, too). This was just an awful flukey thing. Bored kids standing in bus line, with nothing better to do, and not enough supervision it seems. I thought the kids were evil little monsters, too. But now that I have cooled down, I just think they were stupid bored brats. Even though my daughter carries a cane, she is pretty much fully functioning as far as everything a normal kid would do, so maybe these kids just honestly didn't realize how their actions would be perceived. ???

To the poster that mentioned hitting them with her cane - YES!!! I asked her the same thing!!!! She is just a nonviolent little girl and wouldn't want to hurt anybody. If she did hurt someone, she would hurt inside. That is how she is.

Disney is our favorite vacation and it is a great escape from life's harshness. It is the place where happiness lives, afterall!! I just hope she can walk by then!!

Anybody have any foot experience/knowledge??? Since the Xrays came back normal, what next??? We see an orthopedic Dr. tomorrow morning, but I am getting nervous as to why her foot is still so sore and she limps & can't put weight on it. Something isn't right.

Thanks to all for your replies. It feels good to be able to vent and be heard and stood up for!!

Lives4Disney

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

for you and your family.

Lori

 

[Mom2R&D]

Your daughter is truly a gem.

My oldest DS(10) has PE with a young man that bears the brunt of many, many jokes from the other fourth grade boys. He's come home more than once telling me what he's seen and how he doesn't really understand why they want to treat him so badly when he hasn't done anything wrong other than being a little different. After a little explaining he got the jist of it and I honestly believes he tries to make a point to be kind and considerate to this young man and NOT join in with the other weak-minded-follow-the-pack morons.

I wish her the best of luck. She'll soar, you just watch. (But you already knew that anyway. )

 

[Hannathy]

two things I wouldn't believe the xrays until the orthopedic Dr. reads them Hands and feet can be hard to read for a GP or ER doc and sometimes they miss little things. and Some deep bruises or sprains and strains hurt more and heal slower than fractures. I'm glad you are going to a specialist. your Daughter sounds really sweet just remind her that sometimes bees have to sting! and there is nothing wrong with defending herself. Good Luck.

 

[shasess]

You know I really hate hearing stories like this.... I hope these girls were fully punished for the way they treated your daughter. Being that it happened at the bus stop it should still be classified as school property and these girls should have at least been suspended. I'm glad you were able to find out what was going on with your daughter before things got out of hand...I hope your sweetie has a wonderful time at Disney and you may want to sign her up for Karate when you return (LOL)

 

[Chris]

Oh I'm so sorry for you and your daughter. How horrible. I'm glad the school acted quickly and I'm like you, I'd have wanted there heads on a platter.

I hope you have a wonderful vacation and both your girls are beautiful.

 

[mom23boys]

I am really sorry your DD is going through this. She sounds like a wonderful little girl.

I cannot believe children can be so mean and it breaks my heart that she was betrayed by a friend.

I hope your family has a great vacation. Hugs to all.

 

[PrincessasMommy]

I had to post just to tell you that I know how you feel and my heart goes out to you. My daughter just turned 10 and she is legally blind and has Albinism (albino), she was bullied and tormented so bad that I was forced to transfer her school as she was terrified to be outside at recess. She has recovered and is happy but these situations have just become a part of her life, sadly. We try to keep her real close, very involved in after school activities (legally blind but she is a figure skater - if you believe it - it's an individual sport so she took to it), and we always remain positive and what you model is what she becomes, right? You sound like a fabulous Mom and that she has a fabulous school and support system is the best you can ask for. She's beautiful!

 

[Tinkerbellmom33]

These stories break my heart! I'm glad to hear that her school stood up for her. Your daughter is a beautiful girl inside and out and I hope she always remembers that and doesn't let anyone break her spirit.
Enjoy your vacation and I hope her foot's healed up in time

 

[mickeymousemom]

from my house to yours. We have been thru the bullying thing so much over the years, its ridiculous. Sadly enough, our school system just doesn't take things like this seriously. My DD's have been told to ignore it, etc. We are now in the process of moving my middle DD to another school(and possibly paying tuition if we don't sell our house) because of the attitude we've gotten from them over the years. You are very blessed to be a part of a school that has been so good to your daughter. Bullying is one of those things that make me so angry I can't talk at times. Many schools don't take it seriously enough, and many parents ignore the fact that their kids are bullies. I have taught my girls from the beginning that I wont tolerate them making fun of or bullying anyone. This kind of thing makes me SO angry I could go on for days, so i need to stop here. I sincerely hope the Ortho doctor has good news for you, and give your DD plenty of hugs from us. She has no reason to be embarrassed. As a matter of fact, most of us have probably been thru some amount of bullying at some point in our lives. God Bless!