I was watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer with the kids the other night, and was suddenly struck by the fact that poor little Rudolph was bullied by the others.  Those nasty reindeer!  And here we always thought they were so cute and cuddly!

Not only did they call him names because of his physical differences, but “they never let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games.”  Many kids associate bullying with physical aggression, but exclusion is a powerful weapon used by bullies to ostracize and alienate children.  We need to encourage children to seek out those kids who need a friend and speak up when someone is excluding them.  There are many children out in the schoolyard, who, like Lainey in Bird Child, need someone to give them wings to fly.