Do you think a 5yo can be accused of bullying?

[cheeset]

I would appreciate peoples op on this.

Last week, a mother in my dd class went into to see the head with her husband to complain about another girl also in the class, bullying their daughter.

The head then called the other mother in to discuss the situation and was offered support with her dd. Her dd had problems last term with her behaviour in class by swearing and generally being a bit difficult.

The head also told the other mother that the parents had asked her to move her dd into another class(which she refused) and when the head suggested they get the girls together to sort this situation out, the parents refused. The head said that the parents needed to accept some responsibility for their daughters behaviour in that she was a bit bossy.

As far as I'm aware,the teacher has been left to monitor the girls in class on a day to day basis.

I know both the mothers as we used to all stand and chat before this and I feel as though I am piggy in the middle(but I know this isn't about me).

I know the two girls had a problem once before and the mothers sorted it out between them. She also asked the mother to tell her if this ever happend again.

I have had a few problems with the girls accused of bullying in the last year.She used to come over to my house for a play and would say nasty thing to my dd like'my mummy doesn't like you' and would be spiteful and bossy.I put a stop to her coming over for a play and my dd doesn't tend to play with her as sch very much.

I get on very well with the mother and she knows what her dd is like-coping on a day to day basis with her daughters behaviour but she raises the following points;

1.She believes that it's a problem
with 'social interaction' at 5yo and
not 'bullying'

2.Too heavy handed of the parents booking an
appt to see the head(why didnt the mother
have another word with her?)

3.Discraceful asking the head to move her
child out of the class.

4.Refusing to get the girls together to sort
it out.

The other girl is bi-lingual and one of the oldest in the class, would this be a factor also?

Hermit, I think this situation has been made worse by the Head telling the mother what was asked for by the other girls parents,'can you move the child from the class?'. Can you imagine how this mother feels towards the other mother now? I feel it was unprofessional of the head to divulge this info.

Was also unprofession IMO for the head to say to the mother that the parents should recognise that their dd had problems too.

I feel that the school let both girls down by not picking up on the situation as it happened in class and then the head divulging private confidential, conversations that she had with the parents to each of them.

Yes I agree - poorly dealt with by the Head in this case. I would have hoped she/he could have dealt with it without reporting any of the conversation in this way. i would have been furious at that, and gone back to express this to the Head. However, I still think it was right to approach the school and try to resolve it that way.

Thanks guys , general census of op was right for parents to approach sch but unprofessional of head to divulge confidential info and me not to get involved!