Archive - April 2019

My sister-in-law looked thoughtful and then said, quietly: This was more than bullying, Heidi. She’s right. Her nephew, my son, was choked and “knifed” at school in a premeditated assault. I had used “bullied” when telling her what happened, because our family’s experience, while extreme, still brings us into the fold of families whose children have been traumatized by another, whether by name-calling or knifing. It’s all bullying…the intent to “seek to harm, intimidate, or coerce someone perceived as vulnerable.” While our stories vary, what parents can do is all pretty much the same. Since our family’s personal experience involved…

Knives at School:  a Double-Edged Standard wasn’t as cathartic a post as I had hoped. I was still holding back an avalanche of frustration that I felt needed to be kept within our family, a private horror to be handled privately. But it’s time for full disclosure. This story needs to be told, not just for me but for all parents. God forbid you find your family in a similar situation, but being prepared is never the wrong thing. I can share with you the mistakes we made to help you avoid them, and the decisions that helped us through. But…