Re: Teasing/

[Guest guest]

Kim -- Please say thank you very much to for his great advice!!!

Conor would love a penpal! He loves to e-mail and write all the time. Conor

will be 9 in October and is 48 inches and 44 pounds. The GH has had a great

effect on him this year and he's very excited about it.

In a message dated 8/26/2004 8:40:51 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

RSS-Support writes:

Message: 2

Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2004 11:18:29 -0000

Subject: Re: Teasing

,

I couldn't believe the similarities in our kids when I read your post, except

for one thing -

my son doesn't get teased or bullied. My son will be 11 in October, was 12

weeks

premature (with a number of medical problems), was just diagnosed with RSS 13

months

ago, has been on GH for 3 years, has ADHD, a lot of anxiety, on medication, &

can not run as fast as kids his age. also has the same features you

described

about Conor that make him get teased.

You said Conor was small for his grade, but you didn't say how small.

is in 5th

grade (school started 2 weeks ago here in Florida) and is 50.25 " and 48 lbs.

He has always

been the smallest kid in his class. In school when his class plays a sport

in which teams

need to be picked, he is often picked last because he is not a fast runner.

This doesn't

seem to bother him too much though. also has difficulties with

social skills at

times, but he seems to be better with them in certain situations.

Although is immature for his age, after reading your post, I called

him over to the

computer & asked him if he was ever teased or bullied. He said no at first,

but then after I

told him about your son, he said he had a boy at Cub Scout Camp this summer

tease him.

I asked him what he did & he said he ignored him. Then I asked him if he had

any advice

for Conor, and he absolutely shocked me with his adult response! He asked if

Conor had a

guidance counselor at his school. He said he should go talk to the

counselor, because he/

she could help him with his anxiety & maybe stop the teasing. Then he said,

" Or he

should talk to a therapist. " This was without seeing the responses that

other people have

made to you. Almost made me cry, because I realize my little kid is growing

up!

knows he looks different and has more medical problems due to his

preamturity

& RSS, and although he sometimes asks why he has to be so different, I think

he is

generally ok with it. I forgot to mention that for the past month, he has

also been wearing

a back brace for kyphosis/scoliosis (something you think he would be teased

for & not

want to wear). He is a trooper with this. He hasn't once said anything

about feeling self-

conscous about wearing it (much better than I would handle this if I had to

wear one).

I think it is important for Conor to learn coping skills when he is teased &

bullied

(ignoring, maybe having a few comeback comments ready, etc.) Obviously a

therapist/

counselor could help with this, but so could you. Practice role playing

teasing/bullying

situations, buy a book that you can sit down & read to him, etc.

I wish you & Conor luck for the coming school year. If you'd like to email

me privately,

feel free to do so at capuano_k@.... Maybe your son would like

to email my

son as kind of a penpal.

Kim C.