So, I picked Cody up from school the other day and asked him how his day went. He said it was fine. I asked him if he had been picked on again and he said:
“Oh, you know what, I fixed it.”
One of my theories that I shared with Cody was that maybe the kid from his class that he had made friends with but was joining in with the taunting was a bit jealous. Maybe he just wanted to meet his “girlfriend” so he could play with them. Maybe he was feeling left out and decided to join the chorus in order to feel better. Turned out that was it. Turned out Cody was actually listening pretty intently when we were discussing the situation and tried introducing his two friends to each other. It seems to have worked.
I am so proud of my brave little 5-year-old. He introduced the two friends and the three of them played hide and seek together. Some of the other boys are still taunting him but Cody has decided to just stand there until they are finished (they chase him if he runs) and then just walk away. That seems to be working as well.
Man, I couldn’t stop fawning all over him. I was so darn proud. I underestimated him and it won’t happen again. I had forgotten all the times I watched him play mediator at pre-school. He had a knack for making everyone feel a part of the group and making sure everyone got a chance to do what they wanted.
Good lesson. Cody is not me. He is not fated to relive my life. His mother and I have done the best we could to prepare him for whatever lies ahead and we must trust in his abilities. I know he will have devastatingly bad moments during his time in school but I can’t always protect him from them. I will always want to and backing off will be hard but I owe it to him.
“I fixed it”
-Cody James Berberian
July 30th, 2010
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