Today I overheard something that surprised me and got me thinking a bit more about the word “bully”.

I had my kids at the spray park and it was packed.   Some kids were lying in puddles. Some were sliding down the unsafe slide.  Some were sitting directly on the spraying water. Some kids had little water spray thingies and were spraying and chasing each other. It was awesome watching them.  They were truly having fun that only kids under the age of ten can really have.

A little girl about six ran up to her Dad and said that another kid had sprayed her in the face.  The Dad immediately stood up and called his other daughter, about nine years old, over to their spot in the shade.

And he said….

“Your sister is being bullied.  It is your job to stand up for her when she is being bullied.  When you see other kids bully your sister you need to tell them to stop and to leave her alone.”

Now, I am a looky loo and an eaves dropper by trade.

So, I can tell you what was really going on.

The kid that sprayed his six year old was about three.  The little girl that told her Dad was really not THAT upset about the entire thing and the nine year old that was being told to stand up for her sister that was being bullied, really couldn’t have cared less and kept spinning in circles while her dad lectured her.

After all was said and done, I couldn’t help but keep thinking about the word bully and about a great conversation that I had a with a group of girlfriends recently.  It was at least a two hour conversation and we all  had lots of things to add.  What exactly is a bully?  What if you child is labelled a bully?  What to do if your child is being bullied?  Is there a difference between being teased, picked on and being bullied? What happens to a bully when the grow up?

What do you think?

Are we over using the word bully?