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Healing Rhythms

Other Mother Bullying My Child

by anniec

My son (11 years old) has been the target of a group of 3 mothers who have sons in his class at school. The three women are all friends, they are the type of women that you see at drop off in the car park gossiping long after the school bell has gone in the morning.





This all started when my son and his friend were involved in a conflict with the son of one of these 3 women. Her boy has always had social issues, is a known thug and bully. Right from prep his mother has always haunted the school hovering around him trying to control outcomes of any situations this child has got into. In her eyes he is never guilty of anything and is a complete angel.

The conflict was a verbal one initially between my son's friend and the other boy, my son stuck up for his friend and was verbally abused (very bad language). The boy pushed my son, and my son pushed him back. The boy then fell over and my son's friend tripped over him. My son then diffused the situation by walking away.

Since this incident the other boy has decided to focus all his anger and dislike at my son. So has his mother. She and her group of friends gossip together in front of their sons about how my son is the worst boy imaginable. Now he is an easy target and scapegoat for anything that happens in the school yard.

Worst of all her son is a large child much bigger than mine and he is an aggressive child if he doesn't get his way. Because my son is not easily intimidated and is quite a popular boy with the other kids in the group that makes this boy even more resentful and jealous. The boy has continually sworn at, pushed and disagreed with my son. He is no angel, he swears very badly and some of the things he has called my son are dreadful. Most of the time my son does not bother to tell me about it. In fact I only really know because I have had to ask his side of the story, however this other boy must tell his mother his own version of everything.

This boy is often a target for jokes within the group, as he is a large child and not that sharp. But then all of the boys tend to rib one another. They play a game called bull rush, like tiggy and as boys do they all egg and tease each other when it is their turn to be it. If my boy joins in, immediately the child takes offence and must report it however trivial to his mum. The most ironic part of it is that most of these instances have been initiated by one of the woman's gossip group mothers sons who is suppose to be the child's mate??? But once again my boy is painted the bad egg.

It all flared up when mother of this child wrote an A4 letter of complain regarding the situation between my son and hers? Then emailed it to all the mothers in the year level she considered allies. In the email she slandered my child with anything or instance she could gather from her son where my son might have disagreed with or said something to another child even when it was in a game situation such as touch or this bull rush game where they are all doing it to each other, to justify her own gripe. Apparently she then emailed this to the school.

The school had the kids in and talked to them. Apparently when this happened the real truth started to come out. That the accuser was actually responsible for much of the problem and my son was to an extend cleared of his accusations. This was not good enough for the mother of the boy and she continues to try to paint him the bully and finds reasons to pump other children about what is said and done to gather evidence against my son. She has even tried to personally intimidate him which is frightening.


This has had a huge effect on my son. One of the boys in the group wanted my son to go to his birthday party but then came to school and he told my son that it couldn't happen because his mum (she is friends with the other boys mother) didn't like my son. This was devastating to my son who does not even really know the woman. He was mortified to think a "grown up" who he has never given cause to didn't like him.

Next the mother stalked my boy in the car park pick up area. She parked her car in front of him and beeped the horn to get his attention, he looked at her and she continually eyeballed him till he moved up a bit, she then moved her car up to again be in front of him and eye ball him. She then wrote another A4 email to the school head complaining my son was disrespectful of her in the car park!??

On another occasion in the car park I was witness to her intimidation when unknown to her I was parked up from her waiting for my son when he walked over to my car he suddenly put his head down and started walking double quick to where I was parked in our car. I asked him what had caused that and he said "mum didn't you see her, she is parked a couple over from you and when I walked passed she started revving her engine."

My son has been so upset by all of this and it continues. The last straw is that a couple of weeks ago this woman rang our home very late at night on the weekend to personally tell me how bad my son is and that none of the other mothers like him and that he is generally a terrible child. I hung up on her and told her I would be contacting the police if she rang again. I also told her she should take it up with the school as she had initiated that line in the beginning, and in fact I would prefer the matter handled that way.

I contacted the school who are doing their best for all parties. Now however her friend the mother of another of these boys is complaining about my boy, again over minor playground incidents that are all in a game situation. The school have been very professional. They are fair and see it how it is and work with the boys appropriately to sort it out.

Unfortunately this certainly has had an effect on our family. We are devastated by the impact this woman continues to have.

It is basically all over a few things said in a group of boys in a game situation, these kids are 11 year old boys they all give and take comments to each other. In fact usually the next day they are all playing happily again. It is just a case of this woman and her little group of helicopter mums stirring the pot and discussing my son in a negative way in front of their sons at any chance they get.

I cannot wait till the end of the year. I don't know how to repair the damage already done and I am only thankful that our school at least is doing their best to contain things. I am appalled that grown adult women would act like this and cannot believe they could be so one eyed especially as their sons are quite often instigators of what happens. My boy will give as good as he gets and will stick up for himself, I am aware that he is no angel, however it really is a case of these other 3 women seeing their own child through rose coloured glasses.

It has become overwhelming.

Comments for
Other Mother Bullying My Child

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Your family deserves better than abuse
by: Trinity

Hi Mum, change schools. That school and those children and parents are not good enough for your family and the situation is intolerable and damaging for you and especially your child. Same thing happened with my son 20 years ago, he was picked on and bullied by children, teachers, principle and other parents because I was a young single mother. The psychiatrist wanted him on pills to control his 'impulse and concentration' yet I saw no impulsiveness or lack of concentration when he was at home. In a big brave move for a 21 year old I ditched the psychiatrist, pediatrician and school and sent him to a school in a much higher socio-economic suburb. His first year at the bad school however has scarred him for life though he has grown up to be a good man he lacks confidence still. I should never have listened to the 'experts', I should have got him out as soon as the principle said the words "your son is a can of worms".

My daughter is bullied by another mother and her child
by: Seriously Stressed Mum

Hi Anniec,
It has been such a relief for me to read your article & know that I am not alone in this awful situation my family finds itself in. I can empathise with you so much and thank you for sharing these very painful experiences your son is going through.
My daughter has just turned 7. For the 1.5 years she has been the target of bullying by a girl in her class and the girl's mother.
My daughter is an all-rounder st school, she loves learning and has won academic medals for the last 2 years. She is also a lovely little violinist and good athlete. None of this has come without hard work on her part. She is not top of the class in any subject but is in all the top groups and always puts her best effort in.
The other little girl has bullied another girl in the class who is also doing well academically, as has the mother. We have had incidents of the mother screaming at my daughter and the other little girl being bullied, intidimation in the school corridor, spreading of malicious lies by the mother and even false reports to the school that it is my daughter who is the bully (the school can see what is going on but seem to either be powerless to do much or are just scared of the mother).
Every year my daughter wins a medal or gets chosen to play a violin solo it gets worse. We have even recently decided to get a new violin teacher outside of school as the girl who is bullying also plays the violin (but does not enjoy it). One week later, I am told by my daughter that the bullying mother has somehow found out who we are now going to and moved her daughter to the same teacher!
Every school holiday I am told by other parents that this mother has said terrible things to them about my daughter and that she doesn't deserve anything she's won. She's even been heard at the school gates telling other parents that it should have been her child who won the medal.
I have reported it to the school, they believe me, but are super wishy-washy in their approach. The mother is now not allowed to take my daughter's reading group, or that of the other little girl she screamed at, but she is getting worse in her spiteful and jealous behaviour.
She refuses to accept her own daughter is the bully and is basically copying her own behaviour. A lot of the horrible things the little girl says begin with "My mummy says you are...."

Does anyone have any suggestions ? I am considering moving schools although I feel that by doing this I am teaching my daughter that we run away from bullies. We have tried to teach our daughter coping techniques & strategies for how to stand up for herself, but when it's an adult who's the bully and my daughter is so young, it's very hard.

Thoughts and suggestions really appreciated :-)

worried
by: Anonymous

i can fully sypathize with u my daughter is7 years old we have had a absolute nightmare this year cant wait to break up for the summer hols another mother at school is targeting my daughter . her daughter is a very quite but crafty 7 year old who is best freinds with my very outspoken but kind 7 year old the head says my daughter is very strong and the other little girl has no voice and is blaming my daughter for everything that goes wrong and her mother is so nastey to my little girl my daughter is becoming isolated she goes to a private school with not that many girls i am so angry and sad that they just cant be left alone to sort out there problems

I know how you feel
by: Anonymous

wow - I'm in a similar situation - my daughter is the subject of bullying from ... the mother!!! In a further attempt to alienate my daughter this woman has befriended all the other mother's socially. She suggested I find new friends for my daughter (she'd taken over her last best friend for her own daughter) - she suggested I send her to the new horrible woman with the awful child. I had no idea who she was talking about - but eventually my daughter did start to play with this girl and her mother is/was nice. However when the bitch mother saw my daughter having a best friend she be-friended the mother and has now removed my daughter from the scene (please note the daughter isn't doing anything - the mother IS!)

nightmare mother and daughter
by: blondie

I befriended a woman who moved opposite my home, I have moved house because of this family but find I am still having issues both in and out of school. My only comfort if you can call it that, is this woman has upset so many others with her confrontational manner. My girls 12 and 14 both attend the same school as her daughter, the mother is a dinner lady there also. She glares at my girls making them feel uncomfortable, makes a big fuss of their friends, she gives any dried up bits of food to them and on occasions has made inappropriate comments. In the car park when my car reaches hers she will move out without indicating then start pipping at me, she also does this to my husband the school says its not their responsibility. The bullying to my younger child is awful not physical but mental, it has left her totally isolated, the woman's daughter has involved so many others, my daughter has had messages via the computer stating I have threatened this girls family, we are been made out to be terrible family, the lies are horrendous. The police have been involved as her husband threatened and abused me after I told the woman to stop bothering my children as I would be forced to go into school. My elder child has seen her husband parked at the front of our new property, we have taxis sent which we have not ordered, I have recently been into school to report the latest bout of bullying but as a family we are finding it all very difficult, with little support, Any advice would be welcome thanks

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