[Bus Driver]

My normally well behaved child has been suspended for one day from school for being disrespectful and having a general meltdown in the office. He has been having a issue in class with some of the older girls (grades 4-6 in one class) and there was some teasing going on back and forth. Well today he had been asked to discuss in the class forum the issues and thats when the meltdown started. He went to the office and was to sit there. Instead he locked himself in the bathroom, office worker had to unlock the door, tried to wait outside and ended up being dragged back in the office. Yikes! I believe the teasing is the only issue in his life right now and he is well liked by the school staff. But now I am looking for a creative punishment that fits the crime (besides the apology letters). Any ideas?

[6boysrus]

Seems that if the teasing was going back and forth and he had had enough because his feelings were hurt that he felt he needed to seclude himself.. out of humility... I dont think you should give punishment other than apoligizing for his behavior.

If you do want him to do something as a result of the seclusion. I would say have him do some type of service hours that perhaps relates to other children.

For ex.. volunteering for a day or a few hours at a home for the disabled.. helping at a soup kitchen.. something of that sort so that he will come to experience that we all come from different walks of life and eachone of us deserves to be respected.

Teasing goes on.. but when it turns into bullying its another story... So Id suggest some kind of commnity service.. Ive done that before with my kids- even as young as 7.. and it truly opens their eyes.. matter of fact.. my kids tend to ask when we can go back..lol

So a positive lesson rather than a dreaded punishment I think would have a greater imapct.

Hope to hear others ideas as well..
Yvonne

[MargieMe]

Bus Driver,
I am not a parent (yet!) but I am a former teacher. When you mentioned that he was asked to discuss the situation in a class forum was this forum a regular part of the way the class operates or was this "a new thing" that happened "just to him?" Maybe the meltdown was the only way he could get out of what he saw as an unfair means of "single-ing" him out?

I can (kind of) understand a suspension for being disrespectful (though I would rather have my student's in class than at home unless they were putting other's in danger), but for having a melt down? I guess I want to know how/what he did that contributed to the suspension.

[Micki_Streeter]

I would say suspension is VERY extreme! Especially if this is out of the ordinary for him! Chances are he was embarresed more then anything... and it just grew from there. Honestly, if it was my 11 year old, I would not punish him, I would sit down and discuss it with him and what occured. Get his true feelings out as to why he acted like he did. God Bless!