March Madness is a great time of year for me. This past weekend, there was one upset after another. My favorite team, though, survived. The U of Wisc. Badgers are still in it. (Sorry Vanderbilt fans…and stay tuned on Thursday!)
But every time I look at the news about bullying this month, I feel like it’s another type of March Madness.
On any given day there are a dozen tragic stories about kids reaching out and nearly screaming for help. It’s also the month that Bully will premiere in theaters (March 30th) and the “R” rating issue rages on. Cartoon Network also premiered Speak Up, with a special message from Obama. Awareness of the pain that bullying causes is gaining traction. My background is television so I’ve been an advocate of getting this issue more mainstreamed in the media. And boy is it ever.
So just as in the rest of life, good and bad are happening at the same time and if we’re to take advantage of the good exposure it’s getting, we all need to take advantage of all the great tools out there. Let’s start paying attention when our kids are little. School climates depend on the type of expectations we have for our kids to treat others with kindness.
Movies wake up the country…and it’s the parents, teachers, friends…and anyone witnessing meanness that help preserve the lighthearted childhoods that every single kid has a right to experience.
Bullying stops in 10 Seconds when someone steps in to stop it.
There’s hope.
