Anonymous wrote:Any comeback that’s crowdsourced from a bunch of moms on the internet is probably not going to go over well with mean middle school kids. This sounds like an Onion article.

I know omg this is giving me so much second hand embarrassment. Sorry op. This sucks for your kid, but he is better off ignoring them and avoiding them. School is over in 9 weeks.

Anonymous wrote:DS12 is facing lots of meanness at school - he is a skinny, not very strong kid and they call him 'weak', 'slow' ,etc. Not bullying, just kids being kind of nasty. He is a bit overly sensitive about it too. I think he needs to practice comebacks that will better stand up for himself. He says he can never think of a comeback so I think we need to practice these at homes. Any thoughts on how to help him build these skills? Or what specific comebacks might be useful for this situation?

Ok

That is all you say. For anything. Bullying, fights, breakups, etc...

Ok - it is such a short and strong word and it really flusters those that are trying to get a rise.

Your mom liked my body last night.

Or

There are two things in the world you can’t change, crazy and stupid, so I guess you will never change.

What I did- start a rumor about the bully

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS is physically similar- so tough for middle schoolers!

I agree with the “why are you obsessed with me?” line, or similar.

If that doesn’t work- does the bully have an obvious weakness? If so, throw it right back. “Whatever, fat*ss” with an eyeroll. That sort of thing.

That’s cool — my son has the opposite issue and tends toward the pudgy, so the mean comments he gets at school are what you’re suggesting as a comeback.

Maybe we can all suggest that our kids use comebacks that don’t focus on the other person’s appearance.

The punishment should fit the crime. Ops kid is being mocked for his appearance.

It just perpetuates the same sh$tty behavior. Stopping to their level and all of that.

Anonymous wrote:“Does criticizing me make you feel good about yourself?”

“If you feel better by poking fun at others, go ahead. It’s says a lot more about your flaws than mine”

Who keeps posting these super lame responses? Clearly you don't have kids and particularly not ones in MS.

Anonymous wrote:“Does criticizing me make you feel good about yourself?”

“If you feel better by poking fun at others, go ahead. It’s says a lot more about your flaws than mine”

No

The reality is if your kid is not the type to comeback naturally he will probably be shaky, seem scared or screw it up making it worse. Some of the suggestions on this thread are so, so bad, including the above.

“The jerk store called and they’re running out of you.”

“Does criticizing me make you feel good about yourself?”

“If you feel better by poking fun at others, go ahead. It’s says a lot more about your flaws than mine”

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any comeback that’s crowdsourced from a bunch of moms on the internet is probably not going to go over well with mean middle school kids. This sounds like an Onion article.

True. When I was picked on in ms for being scrawny and poor, I punched whoever said it or, if it was a group, whoever was closest. My bony little fist hurt their stupid noses. I did this twice and, then, had a reputation for being crazy and violent. Guess who no one focked with for the rest of ms?

This sounds like something from your imagination or a movie. In real life, when the skinny, scrawny kid throws a punch, his ass gets beaten (either then or later) or a teacher sees it and he gets in trouble for fighting (and then, later, his ass gets beaten).

Nope. It happened. MCPS in the early 80's.

My nephew is the skinny kid but is not afraid to talk back or fight. He’s thrown punches and got suspended for this and things he’s said. He’s also got beaten up. But, he has respect and is no longer bullied. I think there is something to this comment. It’s about showing you aren’t scared and standing up for yourself. It also depends on the school and friends. My nephew had some really big friends. I wouldn’t suggest going around and punching people if you are all alone and live in a rough neighborhood where you can get seriously injured.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any comeback that’s crowdsourced from a bunch of moms on the internet is probably not going to go over well with mean middle school kids. This sounds like an Onion article.

True. When I was picked on in ms for being scrawny and poor, I punched whoever said it or, if it was a group, whoever was closest. My bony little fist hurt their stupid noses. I did this twice and, then, had a reputation for being crazy and violent. Guess who no one focked with for the rest of ms?

This sounds like something from your imagination or a movie. In real life, when the skinny, scrawny kid throws a punch, his ass gets beaten (either then or later) or a teacher sees it and he gets in trouble for fighting (and then, later, his ass gets beaten).

Nope. It happened. MCPS in the early 80's.

Anonymous wrote:Bullies will look for a reaction...they want the target to get all upset. A comeback will feel better while you are planning it, but will likely escalate things. But an unconcerned shrug and walk away will stop the bullying much faster.

This is untrue. I was mercilessly bullied from middle of 1st grade until I left school near the end of 10th. My mother always told me to ignore all of it. Ignore the comments, ignore people yelling in my face, ignore people pushing me down the stairs, putting pins or clay or dirt on my seat, ignore glue being poured into my hair, ignore being shoved around on the school bus and having my glasses knocked off, ignore the kids on either side of my locker physically preventing me from getting to it so I was late every day, ignore them prank calling my house and screaming obscenities at me, ignore them spiting dozens of spitballs into my hair, ignore them following me down a school hallway shoving me, ignore walking out of class and promptly getting punched in the face.

Yeah, ignoring does NOT work. Kids got suspended because of how much they bullied me, and I still got told to ignore. Ignoring was not the answer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS is physically similar- so tough for middle schoolers!

I agree with the “why are you obsessed with me?” line, or similar.

If that doesn’t work- does the bully have an obvious weakness? If so, throw it right back. “Whatever, fat*ss” with an eyeroll. That sort of thing.

That’s cool — my son has the opposite issue and tends toward the pudgy, so the mean comments he gets at school are what you’re suggesting as a comeback.

Maybe we can all suggest that our kids use comebacks that don’t focus on the other person’s appearance.

The punishment should fit the crime. Ops kid is being mocked for his appearance.

Anonymous wrote:Bullies will look for a reaction...they want the target to get all upset.

A comeback will feel better while you are planning it, but will likely escalate things.

But an unconcerned shrug and walk away will stop the bullying much faster.

Eh, I don’t know. I find that bullies escalate when they get no reaction. They like to see how far they can go until they get one. Ignoring doesn’t work.

Anonymous wrote:"thanks for sharing" - walk away

No. So lame.