My Mama Said

An entertaining video by the wonderful Rita Pierson who explains how she responds to two boys fighting in the the playground.   

There are sets of rules for many different environments - home, school, playground, sports field, cinema, restaurant.   How we manage ourselves in these different environments is part of learning.

One point that Rita emphasises is to make parents aware that while we respect their rules, there needs to be a different set for school where we (the educators) are responsible for more than just their child alone.   

I know parents who have said to their child,

"Stand up for yourself, and hit back."

I realise that these parents are trying to teach their child to stand up for themself and to not let themself be bullied, but retaliation and violence can't be seen as the only option in today's society - whether it be the school playground or in the adult world.  

Hopefully the next generation of adults will have a set of strategies to fall back on in times of disagreement, anger and frustration - rather than resort to the fist.