[Awesome4s]

I have an issue that I need to a dress to someone...
I have a lot of children that hurt other peers...I have read books about "Bullying" so, I am not really an amteur with this..or least I thought...
I have a child who is very destructive, and he doesn't really talk much.
the thing is in my class I started to say, be a "Buddy not a Bully" some times I would say Be a Friend cause No one likes a Bully.
all seems well for the past couple months. The other children redirect the others who they think or feel are not being a friend/buddy...and all seems well.
Well, the other day; 3 boys were playing and they were just clowning around with words... like Captain undie poopie pants and jolly lollipop...I guess the children were getting to excited with these words and one boy didn't like to be called jolly lollipop, So he says to the child "Youra bully!" Frankly I didn't realize this would cause a HUGE issue. Of course I redirected the 5 yrs olds and told him that silly words aren't part of being a bully...As the day goes, and I thought I redirected the boys alright, I was told before the day was over by my director that the parent called and was requesting that I didn't use that word no more!
Has anyone had this happened to them?
my question is; Did I do it wrong or am I just worrying for nothing?

[Amberlee]

Bully isn't a bad word - it's a word that's important for students to understand and use properly. If they use it inappropriately you might need to clarify the meaning, but the word itself is not. In my district this week is Bullying Awareness/Prevention Week - school wide/district wide.

[Ball Three]

...that while the word "bully," like any word, can be misused, it is important that
children understand the concept because bullies are everywhere.

Re your situation: you don't say whether the boy(s) who were calling names were
the same children who are "very destructive" and "hurt other peers," and you
don't say why you felt the name-calling was good-natured rather than malicious.
Based on my boyhood experience, I'm not sure there is any such thing as good-
natured name-calling, except between pals, brothers, teammates, etc., and I
doubt these boys are any of the above.

To answer your bottom line: I think you're doing great, but I also think you're
right to be concerned. It sounds to me like the boy who called the name-caller
a bully was doing his best to do the right thing, namely "redirect the others who
they think or feel are not being a friend." Even if he overreacted somewhat -
you'd certainly be the best judge of that; I wasn't there - this parent's "request"
is beyond ridiculous, for the reason I expressed in the first sentence of this post.
As Amberlee points out, other districts face up to this problem, but it sounds like your director may be sticking his/her head in the sand and asking you to do the same.

I hope you won't. Little bullies grow up to be big bullies, unless their behavior is nipped in the bud. That's your job, and you've been doing it well, to say the least, if you've taught a bunch of 5-year-olds to use WORDS to tell someone to back off.

[Awesome4s]

sorry about confusing you but not these boys, I have other children that are destructive and out of control and the I'll call them "Verbal bunch" only repeat words that the teacher has spoken about if they hear me redirect the children who needs extra attention...
Thank you! I thought I was going insane....I know that this parent is being ridiculous, because I feel she knows her son and feels if the word isn't use in the class then all will be ignore...but in our school district we have a week about preventing your child from BULLIES. I don't know what the parent is going to do when this starts...I hope she'll realize what a mistake she made. Her son will learn the same things in my class that she is trying to avoid. but I am the back burner and I can not address this to her since My director is wants to avoid this had ever happened!
I realize my school....no my director is not the best one out there! but since the econmony is so bad. I am not going to comment!

[Ball Three]

...that your district has an anti-bullying week!! Since obviously you can't teach about bullying without using the word, hopefully you can ignore this parent's overreaction
and any hints from your director. You are following orders from the DISTRICT, and
can politely but firmly point this out to anyone who tries to bully YOU!!

Good luck, and hang in there! Your little ones are lucky to have you!!