The one where my kid gets bullied

I knew I would have to face it at some point in Aiden's life, bullies are every where and never really leave your life even when you all grown up. Did I think it would hit me when he is only 2 and a half years old...no!

I have watched slowly the last couple months my sons behaviour and personality changing, at the beginning I thought it was just the next phase then I became worried. He has become withdrawn, quieter, more shy, more weepy, clingy, wanting his dummy all the time, not wanting to sleep in his own bed, not wanting to go to school or to be left alone to do anything by himself.

At first I thought it was because of my grannies passing and he felt our pain and then we moved so I thought he was unsettled but his behaviour has just become more and more intense.

A while ago he told me how S was a naughty boy and went to the corner for hitting the teacher, that was his story every day for a long time. Then every time he got an eina and I asked what happened he would say S hurt him, then the other day I asked him directly does S hurt you at school, and he just nodded his head.

I still tried to convince myself it must just be toddler age phases and all the kids doing it to each other, till I walked into his class this morning and watched S run and scare Aiden and wouldn't stop, even though Aiden was telling him to "stop it" and until Aiden started crying. At first I just stood there in shock because his teacher and assistant did nothing to diffuse the situation and then my fury was on the culprit. I pulled him and told him to stop doing that then gave the teachers a piece of my mind, I then proceeded to email the principal.

Her response:

We know about the situation and are busy trying to resolve it. And it is 2 children bullying your child not just S.

What, you know my child is being bullied and you didn't think of fucking contacting me, you joking right! I pay R2200 a month so my child can be terrorised into a different child and not have any one think to inform me.

That was my response.

My heart broke into a million pieces to know that I have been dropping my child off into an environment where he is being hurt, at an age where he doesn't fully understand, at an age where his personality is shaped and changed into what he will be in the future.

All I want to do is hang those children by their toes and whack some sense into the little buggers for messing with my child.

I don't really know how to deal with it, do I take him out of the school, do I sit and wait for the school to "deal" with it, do I call for a meeting with the culprits parents, do I teach my child to fight back and how do I get my sparky, vibrant, loving and brave boy back!

How do I get him to come out of that shell that I know to well from being bullied through out school, how do I take away that pain and insecurity that can possibly cripple him for years to come.

Why are people so mean.