January 16, 2016
Good morning friends,
We are ten degrees cooler today, than yesterday so we are beginning the
day with the temp of 47 and the high will be in the 60’s. Here we are in mid-January, and the
temperature is still warm. I have a fire going in the fireplace early in the
day and the A/C turned on in the afternoon. Mild temps are nice in the winter in the Houston area—but
oh the summer! I’m dreading it already. Spring begins in two months, and along
with it, come those hotter days.
The Mr. is sort of sick today. He got up at his usual
early time—about 4:30, but he decided to lie down after he read the paper and
ate breakfast. He’s always a doer, even
when ill, so this is unusual for him.
We had friends over last night. I prepared a simple
Mexican salad with ice cream for dessert. I don’t do complicated meals, but the
visit was enjoyable. We hadn’t seen these friends in a few months, so it was
delightful to catch up.
Hubby and I spend an inordinate amount of time helping
our daughter these days. Her husband passed away on September 10, 2015, and we
are helping with all the business details. It’s amazing how many there are. We’ve
spent many days traveling back and forth to Austin to attend to specifics. These are sad times for all of us, especially her.
I’m excited about my new Sarah book. It’s available as a
preorder on Amazon now.
What’s the difference between bullying and
teasing?” Mackenzie sliced into meatloaf.
Sometimes joshing is for fun—maybe Ethan is trying to make you feel at ease. Or it could be his way of flirting with you.” Jessica closed one eye and seemed to search her mind for more definitions.
“Having
said that, let me hasten to say this. Teasing from anyone, including Ethan, can
turn nasty and become bullying. I’ve seen kids at school start out with a plan
to intimidate another with a tease but it escalated to physical abuse.”
“No, ma’am.”
“He’d better not. I’ll make him put his tail
between his legs and whimper like a scolded puppy.” Bonnie’s glare could ignite
a furnace.
Jessica and Mackenzie both giggled at the
fierce look on the older woman’s face.
Jessica bit her lip as she continued to muse.
“Teasing in a fun manner can be a friendly way of communicating. Tone, facial
expression, and body language often convey a person’s intention. Does Ethan
appear to say things to you in a good-natured or aggressive way?”
Mackenzie shrugged and wrinkled her nose.
“Good-natured, I guess.”
Jessica nodded. “Yet you still view his
demeanor as negative. It can be difficult to tell the difference between a
teaser and a bully. I wouldn’t want you to put up with a tormenter, but I
honestly don’t see Ethan in that light. Knowing the difference between a teaser
and a bully is complicated. If Ethan acted like a bully toward others, I’d
consider having a talk with him about his aggressive attitude. As a teacher,
I’m required to write up a student who behaves unacceptably. As a mom, I
wouldn’t allow it for you, either. No one should put up with abusive treatment
or statements.” She cocked an eyebrow. “If you want, I’ll talk to him.”
“No! That’s one of the reasons I don’t tell you
stuff.”
Jessica sighed as if her heart hurt. “I
understand. Thing is, that’s one of the reasons a lot of kids endure offensive
behavior. They’re afraid of being called a snitch if they tell someone like me.
Teachers can help, but teens don’t let us, and that’s too bad. We give a bit of
advice when someone asks, or we refer them to a school counselor. They’re
experts and make suggestions to modify reactions to taunts. Then, if the bully
fails to respond to the new conduct, we take other actions to stop the tough
guy’s aggression.” Another huge sigh escaped her lips. “Kids should trust
adults.”
Ya'll have a good one. Stay safe. See you tomorrow.
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