Had a severe speech impediment going into kindergarten. They had both spent the prior year with a so each therapist and part of their school would include a session each day where they would be pulled out for speech as well. This went on till about third grade, but along the way bullies used this as a way to pick on them about being dumb or other comments I won’t post here. My first reaction was like yours, except I wanted to go to the house of the bully and kick his dads tail instead.

Thankfully I didn’t, but instead used it as an opportunity to teach my sons how to handle the bully themselves. Humor, deflection, standing up to them with their words, and at times letting the bullies know they would fight if needed. I gave them both the ok to fight any bully in school if they were defending themselves from physical or verbal attacks and that because the teacher was already aware of our concerns with this I would back them if anything else happened.

Thankfully they didn’t need to fight the bully, but they did find confidence in themselves to over come this and not let it hurt them anymore. I like to think that they knew I had their back, and that if they fought the bully and got in trouble I would have their backs. Instead they figured out how to turn this into a positive and by 4-5 grade these same bullies were now their friends.

I don’t think you can change other kids minds about bullying, I think you can change how your kids handle being bullied and how they respond as well as them knowing you have their back if they get in a bad spot.