- Joined
- Mar 30, 2007
I have two teens that have always been in special ed classes. They are very confident and happy kids. All the years of them going through school I have never had any incidents with them being teased (that I knew of). Well, tonight as we sat down for dinner my DD commented that kids walk past her classroom and yell things like "hey, its the retard class" among other things. I asked if anyone has ever said anything to her personally and she said yes. She proceeded to tell me a multitude of things I wished I hadn't heard. I think my heart sunk down a thousand notches. She was actually kind of funny because she tells me not to worry and that those kids are "jerks" anyway-she was trying to console ME! She is a very assertive kid, so I have no doubt that she would take any garbage from someone without dishing it back at them. But still...I was quite devastated to hear this news. Then DS chimed into the conversation and said they do the same thing to him at the high school (DD is in middle school) and pretty much looked at me like I must be crazy for not realizing. I'm just totally crushed. I know you can't protect them forever, but I can't help but feel like I failed somehow. We always have had what I thought was open communication and I felt that they shared everything with me (okay, within reason). DD and DS both said that this wasn't important enough to share and that it doesn't bother them. I hope this is true and I'm glad if it doesn't, but it bothers me. Am I a nut? I know there is nothing I can do to prevent it. Has anyone else had the same experience? I worry that after a while the teasing will just wear them down and I don't want that to dim their spirits or confidence.