Homeschooling Looks Better and Better

Jack was crying this morning because he didn't want to go to school.  With the alarm scare earlier this week, I was hardly surprised.  I asked him why he didn't want to go and he said he was afraid it would happen again.  I told him that it probably wouldn't but if it did, he knew why since Helen showed him what triggered the alarm on Monday.  He wheeled around and said, "No, not THAT!  They are going to make fire bell noises again to try to scare me.  Jamie and Nicky keep doing it to make fun of me because I cried!  I don't want to go and listen to them!"

Oh.  My.  GOD.  They are mocking him?  Those little shits are teasing my boy?  For a genuine, legitimate fear?  I'll kill them.  I'll tie them to a chair and make them watch horror movie clips on YouTube until they know what fear feels like.  I'll hire the Insane Clown Posse to make them shit their pants.  Who do they think they are?  Wow, did the mama bear come out in me.  Thankfully, I stopped myself before snapping, "Well, tell them that at least your parents didn't give you a sissy girl name!" which was my first instinct.  Good to know that while I can instantly regress to adolescent brutality, I am able to harness it.  Instead, I told him to walk away and play with his friends when they say mean stuff.  "But they are my friends, Mom!"  *sigh*  The Boy thinks everyone he has ever met is his friend.  I imagine that will come to an end now that he's seeing that not all people are kind and understanding.  I agreed that they are his friends but pointed out that they are not acting like friends when they make him feel bad so he should move away from them at those times.  Tom told him to call them "gizzards" which is a made-up Tobin family insult from the ages.  I'm not sure of the exact translation to English.  I'm also not sure about encouraging name calling but desperate times and all that...

So, what do I do?  Do I talk to Helen the preschool director?  The teachers?  Let it go and see if it gets better or worse?  I don't want to be (and yet there is no denying that I am so I should say I don't want to appear to be) one of those hysterical mothers who jumps in at the first sign of rough waters.  If they were calling him poopyhead or pushing him on the playground, I'd shrug it off and tell him to ignore it, that not all families have kindness rules like we do.  If it got too physical, I guess I'd tell him to push back but he's bigger than most of his classmates and unaware of his strength so opening that can of worms could be dangerous.  But I digress...there is no pushing and no harmless name-calling.  These boys found a weakness and are targeting it.  I had no idea that 4 and 5 year olds could be so diabolical.  My fear is that this will set a pattern for Jack.  I don't want him to be a bully, God forbid, but I certainly don't want him to go through life bending over and taking it either.  This feels like a big one, like Tom and I need to set him on the right path to handling adversity and I really don't know what to do or say to help Jack nip this in the bud.  For now, I'm going to wait and see what happens.  Maybe those goddamn brats will find a new target.  Maybe Jack will pound their heads into the playground mulch.  Maybe he'll join in and the three of them will go on the road as The Traveling Preschool Fire Alarm Band.  Maybe not.  I'll just have to wait (and worry) while it all plays out.