My daughters are constantly talking about the 'hitty boys' in school. They are sweet boys, actually (they are fond of me and hang around me when I go in), but they are about a year older than my kids, and they are springing around in a big group, sometimes doing rough play, teasing, trapping the girls into corners, occasionally even hitting. I've seen the teachers react to all this very well indeed: speaking firmly but respectfully to the perpetrators, comforting the 'victims' - although they don't always see everything. My girls want to know how to react to these hitty boys. In exasperation this evening I told htem that if they were really whacked and it wasn't a mistake they should feel free ot whack back (I don't like the idea of them being bullied - at the moment one of my children weeps if she is hit and rushes to a teacher, she doesn't try and defend herself, she expects adults to intervene for her). I think this was rubbish advice on my part. Any advice from you out there please. Good advice, that will help my children navigate the rough and tumble of life wihtout being push overs but without being pushers either...