29 August 2023 , 09:35
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A grandmother has been left fuming after her granddaughter was sent home from a party. Things didn't end there either, as a mother then complained about the young girl to the school. While the grandmother understood why the nine-year-old was sent home, she didn't appreciate what followed.
The woman said her granddaughter put on a bit of a "performance" as she was embarrassed about being sent home. While she thought that this was the end of the debacle, things escalated at school on Monday. She went on to say that the mother approached a teacher at school to let her know she didn't want her child to play or talk to her granddaughter. It also appears that she has prompted other parents to follow her lead. The grandmother said she thought the whole situation was "disgusting".
Writing into Kidspot, she asked for advice on how to best handle the situation. "One of the girls even said to my granddaughter, 'I like you but my mother hates you'. I think parents should keep out of children's lives and that singling children out is teaching your children to bully and needs to stop... do others agree?" she asked.
Jordana Shell, a woman who runs the Mother and Daughters Podcast, responded to the worried family member. Firstly and most importantly, she said that bullying of any kind - whether it's children on the playground or the school mums - is unacceptable. She said: "When your granddaughter was sent home from the party, you accepted that this happened, and it should have ended there. What happened once your granddaughter got home, isn't the concern of the mother who threw the party. It's not up to the other mum to continue the crusade."
The expert expressed her concern over how the granddaughter has been treated since the party. She explained that when children are so young, being alienated can have negative consequences. She added: "The school should have responded that parents shouldn't enmesh themselves in playground politics, given this encourages other children to do the same."
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Jordana suggested that everyone get together and have a discussion about the events that have transpired, monitored by the school. The fact that everything that's happened has now been shared with the wider parent group, she said it’s important to act fast. Ideally, the school would then agree to keep an eye on the girls' future behaviour. The year group should also be reminded by the school of the value of kindness and to give others a second chance. She added that a child shouldn't be excluded because of their misbehaviour at a birthday celebration, which was likely fuelled by sugar and a lot of excitement.