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Effects of Being Bullied Last Longer than you Might Expect

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It is obvious that being the victim of a bully is unpleasant. What you may not realize is that the effects of being bullied last much longer than you may expect that they would. A study that was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that children who were bullied have their health, relationships, and even their economic status, affected into middle age. The researchers used data that was collected from the U.K.’s National Child Development Study. They focused on more than 18,000 people who were born during a specific week in 1958. The researchers asked the parents of … Continue reading →

Cyber Bullying

Usually my ex husband and I get along. I believe we have done a better than average job of getting along for Hailey’s sake. In the beginning my ex was not all that pleasant and there were times when he said things around Hailey that were inappropriate but once he worked through his anger about the divorce things got better. We have even celebrated holidays and birthdays together so Hailey would never be torn between her parents. Friends and family couldn’t believe how well we got along. That all changed when Hailey turned eighteen. Suddenly her father was not speaking … Continue reading →

October is Anti-Bullying Month

October is National Anti-Bullying Month. Children who have special needs are especially vulnerable to becoming a victim of bullying. Now is a good time for parents of kids who have special needs to investigate what your child’s school experience is like. One way to bring awareness to something is to have an entire month dedicated to it. October is National Anti-Bullying month. To me, this seems like an excellent choice of month to bring awareness to this particular problem. The new school year started a few weeks ago. Now is a good time to remind people about the effects of … Continue reading →

Help Your “Different” Child Survive Bullying

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In a matter of three weeks, five gay teenagers have committed suicide across the United States as the result of torment from peers. The teens from ages 13 to 19 suffered from bullying and extreme invasion of privacy and I can only imagine from intense feelings of isolation and fear. So how do we protect our children who are viewed as “different”? How do we teach them to value their lives no matter what happens to them or who tells them otherwise? It’s tricky. Young teenagers listen to their friends more than they do their parents, however young children absorb … Continue reading →

The Pain of Watching Our Kids Struggle

While there is plenty of joy, pleasure and delight in parenting—especially as we watch our children stretch and grow and blossom into their own individual people, there is also some struggle and pain. I think one of the most painful thing for many parents is not what happens to us, but the pain and suffering we endure as we watch our children have to struggle and face some of life’s challenges… I know in my head that I cannot protect my children from everything or make their lives an easy, cushy walk in the park. I even know intellectually that … Continue reading →

Bullying: Do You Know Your Child’s Classmates?

Wednesday when I was getting ready for a Halloween extravaganza at my house, the phone rang. “Mrs. Crow? This is Kyle’s teacher. I’m calling because I need to let you know about something that happened to him last week during school.” Immediately I knew this wasn’t going to be pleasant conversation. She continued: “Last Thursday I had to leave the classroom for a while, and meanwhile my aide was dealing with a behavioral problem with one of the students in the hallway. So while there was nobody in the room…um…well, a couple of boys started picking on Kyle, calling him … Continue reading →

In Jesse’s Shoes – A Fabulous Book Giveaway!

Yesterday I received a copy of a beautiful book entitled, In Jesse’s Shoes by Beverly Lewis, illustrated by Laura Nikiel, and published by Bethany House Publishers. It’s a story about a girl, Allie, who must accompany her special needs brother Jesse to the bus stop each morning. In doing so she faces the ridicule and cruel remarks of her peers: “Your brother’s weird.” “Is something…wrong with him?” Allie also struggles with her own secret feelings of disappointment and frustration, wondering why she can’t have a normal brother like everyone else. Allie goes on an outing with her brother, where he … Continue reading →

The Frog Eraser Incident

Sometimes parenting is like standing in a dark room, feeling around for the light switch. This week I received a phone call from my stepdaughter *Cassidy’s teacher. An incident had occurred at school involving two little frog erasers. The teacher said that another girl in Cassidy’s fifth grade class found her beloved erasers missing, along with a sinister note, “HA HA I TOOK YOUR FROGS.” The frogs were later found in Cassidy’s desk. When questioned by several teachers, Cassidy couldn’t deny that she’d taken the frogs (having been caught “red-desked”) but insisted she had NOT written the note. The teacher … Continue reading →

Ten Rules of Conversation for Asperger Teens

Children with Asperger’s Disorder sometimes have a difficult time relating to peers due to their social awkwardness and narrow, often obsessive, interests. Especially during adolescence, these kids want to make friends and even date but they misinterpret important social cues. For example, they might speak too loudly or get too close, making other teens uncomfortable. They might talk incessantly about their peculiar hobbies, leaving peers perplexed at how to relate. They might have odd behaviors which tip-off classmates that something about them is unusual, yet it’s subtle enough that it doesn’t appear to be a disability. So peers think, “That … Continue reading →

The Immeasurable Importance of Your Child’s Teacher

Parents, if your special needs child is struggling in school–if he or she is miserable, and if things have been rough academically, let me make a suggestion. Take a careful look at your child’s teacher. I believe your child’s teacher can literally mean the difference between a successful year or a failed one. I’ve often heard other parents of special needs kids talk about the ups and downs they faced in the public (or private) school system over the years, and there always seemed to be a correlation with whether the child “clicked” with his teacher. I’m not writing this … Continue reading →