Ollie is Scared

 

“I don’t want to go to school today, I feel a bit sick…” Ollie told his Mom at breakfast.

Mom frowned. “Have you got a math test?”

“No, of course not.” Ollie pushed his cereal away. “I just feel sick.”

Ollie sometimes felt sick before school. Mom wondered why.

“If you have a school problem, just tell me about it…” His mother hugged him real tight. “When I was a little girl, sometimes the other children called me horrible names.”

Ollie looked up. “Why did they do that?”

“Some children can be mean, especially if they don’t feel so good about themselves.” Mom looked at Ollie. “Is that your problem, maybe?”

Ollie took a long time to answer. “Yes, it is. How did you guess?” A tear ran down his cheek.

“Because you often feel sick before school, so, Moms guess these things…”

“They call me Itsy-Bitsy Ollie, Mini-Me, mean things like that. Now all the other kids call me things, too. Just because I’m a bit small. And the first two now often shove me about as well… and it hurts.”

Mom was quiet, but then asked, “Did you tell your teacher?”

“No, of course not; that would make them worse, I know it…”

“Bullying is wrong, Ollie. Maybe we can talk to your teacher together; would that be OK?”

Ollie had to think for a long time; he didn’t like the idea at all.

“It will make things worse…” he frowned. But then he thought it was worth a try.

Ollie and his Mom met up with Ollie’s teacher after school, with nobody around. Ollie’s teacher was happy that Ollie told her all about the nasty bullying…

“I had an idea that something was going on…” Ollie’s teacher told them. “But the important thing is, Ollie, that you tell a grown-up. First your Mom, and then me.”

The next day at school, Ollie’s teacher told the class: “A lot of schools have No Bullying Projects, and with ALL your help, I’d like to start one in our school. What do you think? Will all you children help me?”

Ollie’s teacher started their project in Art Class: Speak Up – Stand Up! ALL the children agreed that the rules were good:

1. Tell a grown up if you see bullying.
2. Stand Up for others.

They did paintings of the rules, and they made badges.

“It’s really quite easy,” all the children agreed.

Nobody ever knew that it was because Ollie and his Mom talked to the teacher. But now their school is a much nicer place for ALL the children: name-calling stopped, and, that’s how it should be!    

© Andrea Kaczmarek / Storyberries 2021

 

Poem for Kids written by Andrea Kaczmarek

LET’S CHAT ABOUT THE STORY ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Bullying, Independent Thinking, Conversation

1. Ollie’s Mom says that bullying is bad. Why is bullying bad?

2. Have you ever been bullied? How did it make you feel?

2. Why do you think people bully one another?

3. Ollie’s teacher came up with two good rules around preventing bullying at school. Can you think of some more?