Ginger

[Felecity]

My ten year old son came home from school the other day bragging about how he and his friends tormented a red haired boy with freckles just because he looked different. I thought this was tantamount to racism and grounded him for two days. Should I have taken a firmer stance with him?

[MrsCheeks]

I think you should take a bow for behaving so responsibly towards bullying. Well done .. there are a great many parents who would not have done a darned thing! As we all know, kids will be cruel ... its teaching them that behaving like that is not acceptable and I would have - and have done - exactly the same thing in grounding my children for this behaviour. xxxx PS: Beating him with a big stick is a good move too ROFL!!!

[andy hughes]

I think as long as you explained to him that bullying anyone for any reason is not acceptable, then grounding for two days seems an appropriate punishment.

[Bonzo 2000]

I agree that you should certainly take action to help him understand that it is wrong to single out anyone because they are different. However, i have a vested interest as a "ginger" bloke myself. I never got bullied for it, because i was always bigger than the other kids. For your part, Mum, you can only preach what you practice - "Ginger" itself is a grossly offensive racist label. The pc term is of course "strawberry blonde". And as the wife of any ginger bloke will know, they make the best lovers.

[bluedolphin]

Well done!!! also make him tell his dad when ur at the table and make him tell his dad how many of them were ganging up on this boy....(if dad/parnter not around find someone he admires and respects) see what is his reaction....its an important life lesson...

[Lindy Loo]

Well done Felecity!! It's great to hear of parents who take bullying as a serious matter. I think you handled it very well and 2 days grounding was about right for a '1st offence'!! I'm a redhead and suffered slightly at school but that was in 197?! These days bullying is totally different and my sons (both redheads) suffered terribly. Even their surname was added to the insults, as a few letter changes made it an abusive word. As MrsCheeks says kids are cruel, but you definitely took the right action.

[jamestate]

Felecity, I believe that you have been way too harsh on your son. Sure it's bullying, but it's the only way to let these ginger people know that they are inferior. It's a part of life learning how to abuse and disrespect the ginger class, so why not let him start at 10? If he only started tormenting them when he reached say 14, then all the other kids would have a far better arsenal of jokes and insults than your son, and this could potentially lead to the bullys turning on him. Thank god a cure for ginger hair is only 3 years away.

[simonhogg]

Carrot top! Duracell! Ginger pubes!

[MrsCheeks]

Jamestate I think you are a sickening excuse for a human being.