End of P1

School has ended a week ago! A year has passed and the eldest has finished his P1 education! It was not an easy year. He experienced social bullying in the form of sarcasm and ostracism. We turned them into opportunities for learning and he took it in his stride and learnt how to manage negative behaviour and comments. Nevertheless, sometimes the pain can be too great. There was a day when he looked very glum before school and said he really wanted a friend. Friendships that he had formed over the year were brief, and the friends left him shortly after. We tried to take stock and sometimes wondered why he is not able to forge friendships just like the other boys. Having friends is important, and makes school more fun. Those times when he has a friend to hang out with, he was looking forward to school. Afterall, he is a normal 7-year-old. I feel hurt and share his sorrow of not being able to find a good friend. I believe that there is something about him that makes it difficult for others to accept him. He is different. He is different in that he is not aggressive; that he has a mind of his own; and he tries his best to do what is right. He has made us proud by being a well-behaved boy but his peers, particularly the boys in his class don't like him. A boy got angry with him for doing well in his test once. When he got home and thought about the matter, he concluded that he maybe shouldn't do so well so that others might accept him. I told him that by not doing his best, he might disappoint his parents instead. After a few other incidents, he realized that even if he were not to do in his school work, it does not mean that these boys will like him. Indeed, the same boy jeered at him when he scored half a mark more than my son. This is the real world, and it is unfortunate (or fortunate) that he is learning ropes on how to deal with unkind people at this tender age. I wish to shield him from this harsh world but I can't be there to do the job for him. I taught him many strategies which he has practised. We sometimes find humour in those boys' childish behaviours and have a good laugh. However, I am still not sure if the support for him from the entire family was enough to help him through the difficulties he faced in school. Only time can tell if he is confident enough to be who he is, even with rejections from others. I pray hard that he will find a true friend, someone who is like-minded and who is worthy. He has done well academically, and it is a good boost for his confidence and morale. He has overcome some physically challenging activities and that also help in boosting his confidence. I pray that he will be able to overcome such mental and psychological challenges that harsh school environment brings. And definitely thankful that I am around this one year to support him.