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Let me repeat back what I am hearing:
1. The school Lups’ kids attend has WhatsApp groups for parents to communicate with each other and teachers. WhatsApp is a messaging app, by the way.
2. The teacher wanted to tell the parents that the kids were being mean to one another, and decided to use the above communications medium to do so.
3. Wanting to make an impact, the teacher elected to start off by simply echoing nasty phrases to the group that she’d overheard herself being said in class, providing no other context.
4. Parents were confused initially and shocked but realizing what was going on, scrambled to clarify that it must not have been their child who said those things.
5. After a few minutes the teacher then posted another list of comments. This list was made up of all of the things the kids would admit to saying to one another, when asked. It contained only good-natured communications (so the kids weren’t honest - no surprise).
6. This method of revealing the nature of what was going on was powerful because everyone in the group was forced to acknowledge that bullying is insidious in that we all know it goes on but no one believes their child is part of the problem.
Conclusion: while not intending to, parents can play a role in perpetuating bullying by not addressing the issue with children. Of course some parents do talk to their kids about not bullying others, but some do not, instead assuming they have raised their kids right and such conversations aren’t necessary. But, kids put up a front at home, so it may be a good idea to have a sit down with your children about this even if you think they are perfect little angels. Perhaps the teacher’s exercise will cause the parents in the group to do that, perhaps not. Either way, it was a commendable effort.
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