"My Little Pony" backpack = "trigger" for bullying

That's what this school district says. They told the 10-year-old to leave his backpack at home.

http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2014/03/17/3414231/school-bans-boy-from-wearing-my-little-pony-backpack-claims-its-a-trigger-for-bullying/

And if anybody thinks this is about a 10-year-old boy shouldn't be carrying a "My Little Pony" backpack ... I'm sorry for ya.

 

It ain't easy being a Bronie.

 

I hate to say it, because no kid should be subjected to bullying under any circumstances, but do you blame the school? It certainly could have been handled better...

I know... Where does it stop?

There is a boy in my son's second-grade class who wears purple nail polish. He's an athletic kid too, the best basketball player in my son's grade by a mile. His mom was telling my wife the other day that he likes it and while he hasn't been "bullied" he has been made fun of. I think there is a significant difference between the two, although I'm sure some on here don't.

 

I legitimately feel bad for the kid, but as a parent, don't you have to save your kids from doing things like this?

"Hey, we know you love the show and that's fine, but maybe you don't bring this to school..."

My oldest got ragged on for wearing a "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" shirt to school. He was told it was for babies. He doesn't wear the shirt to school anymore. He still watches the show...

 

That was my thought as well. I don't think the school should be telling the kid not to bring the backpack and they have no business at all blaming the kid for their inability to handle a bullying problem, which seems to be exactly what they are doing.

That said, the parents should step in with the kid.

 

I wish we lived in a world where you could wear whatever you want or bring any kind of lunch bag you want without getting bullied.

If having your kid bring a different lunch bag is all it takes to make bullying stop, you do that immediately. The kid doesn't know any better. A parent with a clue looks at a situation like that and says, "This is not going to end well."

 

Of course he should be allowed to wear the backpack, but he has to know he is going to take shit for it. It's not a perfect world, and life is a lot easier when you don't give the goons of the world something to focus on.

 

A lot of this takes care of itself. When my son was in middle school, he was made fun of for some shirt he wore, so he just never wore it to school again.

 

You know, if this was the only thing kids were giving this kid shit about, it's not bullying.

Bullying needs to have a pattern across multiple different topics. You can still give someone shit and it not be bullying.

 

Right. Bullies can find any reason to pick on you and most of the time it's about something that isn't easily changed. This can be easily changed.

Why would any parent let their kid make themselves such an easy target?

Should a kid be allowed to bring any lunch bag they want? Of course... But do you want to make that point at the expense of your child's well-being?

 

Well, if he gets beat up because of the lunch bag, that is bullying.

If he just catches shit for it, not so much... But don't tell that to the masses.

 

Right. Most kids and most parents have common sense.