Mothers fiercely defend their children, yet they also teach them to stand up for themselves. One mom encouraged her daughter to respond to bullies at camp by mentioning the main bully’s parents’ divorce. The camp counselor later criticized her for this approach.
In a small town, OP’s daughter Becky, 10, battled leukemia for years, losing her hair due to chemotherapy. Excited to join a YMCA day camp, Becky faced cruel bullying from Jenny and her clique, who nicknamed her “Lex” and teased her incessantly. OP intervened, speaking to the counselor, but the bullying persisted, escalating into a hat-stealing game targeting Becky. Determined to empower Becky, OP revealed Jenny’s family situation, suggesting Becky confront Jenny about her parents’ divorce. The tactic worked. Becky confronted Jenny, revealing the hurtful truth. Jenny was devastated, and Becky’s newfound friends supported her. However, the counselor criticized OP’s method, attributing Jenny’s behavior to family stress. Defending Becky’s dignity, OP affirmed her right to defend herself against bullies.
1. OP wonders if suggesting her daughter hit below the belt after she was bullied at summer camp makes her an AITA.
2. OP’s daughter Becky, 10, battling leukemia since age 5, lost her hair due to chemo. Self-conscious but supported at school, she wears hats. Bullying started at YMCA camp.
3. OP’s daughter joined YMCA camp after doctor’s clearance but faced bullying from a clique led by “Jenny,” who nicknamed her “Lex” against her wishes.
4. The bullying worsened with a hat-stealing game led by the counselor’s inaction. Despite the turmoil, OP’s daughter found supportive friends at camp.
5. OP told her daughter to tell Jenny, amid harassment, that she’s the reason for her parents’ divorce and they want to get rid of her, an impactful but possibly false statement.
6. OP found Becky’s response effective; she used the “divorce slam” on Jenny, leaving Jenny upset. The counselor advised against encouraging such insults, citing Jenny’s stress from her parents’ divorce.
7. OP declared that their daughter wouldn’t be a punching bag and vowed to teach and support her in defending herself.
Now that you have read the story, it’s time for you to see what Redditors had to say about this. Read till the end to see what are other people’s opinions on this. Don’t forget to share your own opinion at the end of this article.
8. This is truly disheartening that her cancer was not kept in view.
9. Guess, sometimes we have to stoop lower to match someone’s level.
10. Protective parenting is about empowering your child to stand up for themselves when needed.
11. Nobody has to be a venting corner for someone whose going through stuff.
12. Sometimes, teaching resilience means showing kids how to defend themselves against bullies.
13. Encouraging children to confront bullies with words can be a strategy to build confidence and self-defense.
14. I wish the counselor did a better job.
15. Physical bullying is always more bad.
16. Standing up against bullies is crucial for kids’ emotional well-being, with parental guidance shaping their responses.
17. Assertiveness is the key.
18. That would be sane to do.
19. Building resilience in kids means teaching them to defend themselves in way that can sometimes be inappropriate.
20. That’s a sort of petty revenge.
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