My five-year-old is on his way to kindergarten this fall, and oh how I worry. He's small for his age and wicked smart; an easy target for bullies, in other words. In the future, he may even be teased because his parents are queer and nerdy. Now, my son is pretty assertive, and he's already had practice on the playground dealing with kids who don't play fair, so I know he's got some essential skills. But bullying is a serious problem and good role models can be hard to find.
Thank geek-ness for the internet!
Poking around on YouTube yesterday, I found a fantastic new music video that rocked my socks as a geek, a survivor of bullying, and as a mother. I shared "What Would Buffy Do?" by Kristina Horner with my son and it was instantly his new favorite – he must have watched it half a dozen times before bed! And I couldn't be happier that he's suddenly a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fanboy. We had a nice conversation about standing up for ourselves and others, and saying no to drugs while we were at it. It's never too early to give kids good ideas, and it really helps when we can reinforce them with positive role models outside ourselves.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NA7uAj106Zo[/youtube]
