Is this cause for speaking to the teacher and/or parent?

[dinny]

same girl that gave dd a hard time a lot last year is going on about how dd's warts are horrid (she has some on her fingers, having homeopathy)

dd says it means she can't play with many people at school (this happened last year too, this girl is very influential)

I am unsure whether to say anything for the following reasons:

• dd doesn't seem desperately upset about it (but think it's more resignation)
• new teacher is so unapproachable
• have new headteacher who wasn't involved last year in this girl excluding dd

just don't know what to do - bide my time (it's parents' evening at end Oct) - speak to the girl's parents - or tell the teacher - or do nothing

I don't want to be always jumping in, but also I don't want dd being upset or left out. she's year 2, btw

dd is actually pretty resiliant, I think, but she shouldn't have to deal with this, as you say

she does have friends, just that some of them are under the control of this girl

Good luck-hope it goes well.

teacher wasn't there today!

not sure when she's back in, have feeling (from things other parents have said) she's not going to really care that much about it....

Interesting the advice about not speaking to the parents directly. I am sure you are right, but also sure that if I was the parent of the bullying child I would want to know about it.

I once had to deal with very nasty verbal bullying and excluding of a girl in my tutor group (aged 11). I was new to teaching so I went and asked for help from my HOD. She got us all together in a 'no blame' atmosphere and basically had them talk it out in a controlled way. The girl who had been on the receiving end was actually a pretty together character and said to the bully 'look I dont need you to like me I need you to leave me alone'. It did sort it out- it brought it all out into the open and the bully had to confront how her behaviour was making the girl feel (she didnt like it AT ALL incidently and never forgave me!).

I dont know how it would have gone with different characters or in a different age group but I definitely think the teacher should be told and given a chance to talk it through with the girls involved. My gut feeling is also that parents should be involved at this age- I say this as my nearly 4 year old told another girl this week she wasnt pretty. I was horrified and made a big deal of it. I would hate to feel that once she got to school this sort of thing might not get back to me. How does your daughter feel about it being dealt with by the way?

Cathpot - dd doesn't seem unduly upset by it, I just feel with this girl it will be ne thing of another

at line up this morning, I said to dd liudly "remember to tell me if anyone says anything mean about your warts and I will tell the headteacher about them" - and X vixibly blanched.....