Ned Ryerson
Footballguy
My son, is being bullied at camp.
He is 9 years old, 4'10" and 98 lbs. He is in the 98th percentile for height and weight, so in theory, he is proportional, but he does not look that way, as his belly protrudes, and he is self-conscious about it. (I hope this doesn't make me sound like a bad parent, but I think a healthier weight would probably be about 10 pounds thinner.) We tell him to make healthy decisions with eating and portions, and watch what he eats and how much he eats, but it is always a battle. His diet is not as varied as we would like, and he does not get enough vegetables and fruits despite our efforts. (I'd say it was hereditary or lack of watching what he eats, but my younger son would be blown away by a stiff wind, we often have to force him to eat and he will eat any type of fruit you put in front of him.)
Sports have always been difficult for my older son. He was evaluated as having "low tone" as an infant, and it has carried throughout his childhood. I'm honest about my evaluation of my son, and watching him play sports is very hard. He has been consistently, since he was about 5, the worst kid on the field. When I watch him run with the other kids, it almost appears as if he isn't trying, when I know he is. As a result, it becomes this vicious circle where he is poor athletically, so he doesn't really build up a sweat to exercise at a good clip, so he struggles to lose the weight, which makes him slower, etc. Also, I think his inherent lack of muscle tone gives him a flabbier appearance.
At camp, changing for swim has become a challenge. Nearly every day, several kids, including one in particular, make fun of him calling him "the first pregnant man", "man boobs", etc. We know the bully's parents, and they are nice enough, and we have no intent of "telling on the bully" as we know that would make things worse. My son has complained to his counselors, and nothing has come of it.
For those who have children who have been bullied in this way, several questions-
1) What advice would you give your son as to how to respond to this?
2) What steps have you taken to get your kid out there more athletically to build up a good sweat for one who is not naturally coordinated (he is already in swim lessons)?
3) Would you be doing anything with telling the camp without naming names, or will "boys be boys"?
He is 9 years old, 4'10" and 98 lbs. He is in the 98th percentile for height and weight, so in theory, he is proportional, but he does not look that way, as his belly protrudes, and he is self-conscious about it. (I hope this doesn't make me sound like a bad parent, but I think a healthier weight would probably be about 10 pounds thinner.) We tell him to make healthy decisions with eating and portions, and watch what he eats and how much he eats, but it is always a battle. His diet is not as varied as we would like, and he does not get enough vegetables and fruits despite our efforts. (I'd say it was hereditary or lack of watching what he eats, but my younger son would be blown away by a stiff wind, we often have to force him to eat and he will eat any type of fruit you put in front of him.)
Sports have always been difficult for my older son. He was evaluated as having "low tone" as an infant, and it has carried throughout his childhood. I'm honest about my evaluation of my son, and watching him play sports is very hard. He has been consistently, since he was about 5, the worst kid on the field. When I watch him run with the other kids, it almost appears as if he isn't trying, when I know he is. As a result, it becomes this vicious circle where he is poor athletically, so he doesn't really build up a sweat to exercise at a good clip, so he struggles to lose the weight, which makes him slower, etc. Also, I think his inherent lack of muscle tone gives him a flabbier appearance.
At camp, changing for swim has become a challenge. Nearly every day, several kids, including one in particular, make fun of him calling him "the first pregnant man", "man boobs", etc. We know the bully's parents, and they are nice enough, and we have no intent of "telling on the bully" as we know that would make things worse. My son has complained to his counselors, and nothing has come of it.
For those who have children who have been bullied in this way, several questions-
1) What advice would you give your son as to how to respond to this?
2) What steps have you taken to get your kid out there more athletically to build up a good sweat for one who is not naturally coordinated (he is already in swim lessons)?
3) Would you be doing anything with telling the camp without naming names, or will "boys be boys"?
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every hole.
