We have been playing this song for a month already.. 3-4 times a day and sometimes more.. depending on their mood. At first it was just a random song that my ear appreciates. I never bother myself with the lyrics, not until my boys started singing it.
And when I finally bother myself with the lyrics, I am so in love with it and the message.. in fact whenever I feel the need to be bitch.. with the Mcdo cashier, with the department store crew, with the waiter.. with a stupid moron, this song echoes in my head.. and keeps me away from being mean (although not all the time..but yeah at least most of the time haha) The kids of course have no idea what the song was all about..they just love the song.. and the video too.
Today, having nothing to write about.. and while Mean (or someday to my toddlers) is playing on the other half of my screen, I thought: hey, why not blog about Mean?
As it is with every parent, I do not want my kids to be bullied.. and with that, I also do not want them to be bullies.. How hard it is to teach our kids not to be bullies? Most of us are concerned with the kids and the bullies that sometimes, we forget our kids can be a bully too. So how can we prevent it?
Before, I would say to my kids that whenever someone hits them, they should hit back.. fight back.. I realized it’s not how to handle it.. that in the end, it’s turning my kids into bullies. Hearing Mean over and over again made me realize that the best way to handle meanies and bullies is to learn the art of dedma or learn the art of nonchalance. Never mind the bullies.
Now with my kids.. I always tell them to respect others, to be conscious of how they treat others. To be always grateful and show gratitude. And not to laugh at others.. and to be always helpful. And I always tell them that whatever it is that they do not want being done to them, don’t do it to the people around them. The Golden Rule, we must not forget.
Wena says
July 10, 2012 at 1:16 pmhala! I’ve been telling my eldest to “fight” back whenever the bullies in our street hit her. Thanks for sharing this, mommy Peh. I should start teaching her the “art of dedma”.
The Mommist says
July 11, 2012 at 9:08 pmAgree! The whole world would be a much better place if only everyone lives by the golden rule. 🙂
Mommy Pehpot says
August 6, 2012 at 7:05 amso true!