Rant: Ignorance at school

[helli]

I agree with the comments on here that you need to work out which battles are worth fighting.
Unfortunately some people will never listen and some people have a cruel sense of humour.

I think it is horrible that we have to build a thick skin to live with this but I can relate growing up with red hair and buck teeth. Naming calling was common. Rather than answering back or making a fuss, I adopted Duracell as my nick name amongst my friends and the bullies saw there was no point in calling me "Carrot Top" because it didn't (appear to) bother me.

On the other hand, I completely understand writing to BBC when they have used the joke about eating sweets giving you diabetes - a public apology from them has a bigger impact.

 

[Melinda Anne]

When I was ten years old a girl in my class was taken to hospital and no one knew why. The class decided she had ‘caught Diabetes’ from me! They all stopped talking to me for over a week till she was properly diagnosed with something else. At least you just had someone who was happy to be corrected about his mistake.

 

[Lily123]

When I was ten years old a girl in my class was taken to hospital and no one knew why. The class decided she had ‘caught Diabetes’ from me! They all stopped talking to me for over a week till she was properly diagnosed with something else. At least you just had someone who was happy to be corrected about his mistake.

That’s awful what they acted like!

 

[Lily123]

Unfortunately some people will never listen and some people have a cruel sense of humour.

I think it is horrible that we have to build a thick skin to live with this but I can relate growing up with red hair and buck teeth. Naming calling was common. Rather than answering back or making a fuss, I adopted Duracell as my nick name amongst my friends and the bullies saw there was no point in calling me "Carrot Top" because it didn't (appear to) bother me.

On the other hand, I completely understand writing to BBC when they have used the joke about eating sweets giving you diabetes - a public apology from them has a bigger impact.

That’s awful what happened to you!

 

[Amity Island]

Hi, I’ve never had any comments from teachers or from other students referring directly to me having T1 but today at school I was sat in the middle of two boys being really mean to one another and one of them said to the other “you’ll get diabetes from eating that many sweets”. I corrected him and said how offensive I found that and he apologised I also told the teacher (cover teacher) and she just asked If he apologised and if he had learnt his lesson and to not say that again (I could tell he hadn’t learnt his lesson) and nothing more was mentioned. When I told my mum she said I was being over sensitive and over reacting and she said I shouldn’t fill in an incident form (when something happens you have to fill in a form which goes to head of year kind of person) but I think that I should fill in a form as the boy who said it shouldn’t have been so horrible (he had no idea I was T1 but still)
What do you guys think? Sorry for the rant

Hi Lily,

If you felt the need to report the comments, you would be giving some value to their opinion. However, I'm sure (in your heart) you know what they said had no value and thus needs no further thought.

 

[Lily123]

Hi Lily,

If you felt the need to report the comments, you would be giving some value to their opinion. However, I'm sure (in your heart) you know what they said had no value and thus needs no further thought.

True . However it was less that I needed to say anything because it upset me but the main thing was that he used it a insult of what could happen (not that any type of diabetes is good but the negativity isn’t the best) and that he thought he knew enough to say something like that

 

[helli]

That’s awful what happened to you!

To be honest it was more of a mild irritation for a while than anything that upset me.
I can imagine it could upset other children much more.

I am a female engineer and the school time name calling has put me in good stead for the sexism I had endured over the years. It taught me when it was worth speaking up about sexual harassment and when to laugh with my colleagues when they make comments about only being good enough to make tea. I am reasonably aware when something is meant as a joke so shrug it off.

 

[Lily123]

To be honest it was more of a mild irritation for a while than anything that upset me.
I can imagine it could upset other children much more.

I am a female engineer and the school time name calling has put me in good stead for the sexism I had endured over the years. It taught me when it was worth speaking up about sexual harassment and when to laugh with my colleagues when they make comments about only being good enough to make tea. I am reasonably aware when something is meant as a joke so shrug it off.

That’s good to be able to do that and just ignore it

 

[Jacen017]

I can honestly say that until I was diagnosed, I knew absolutely nothing about diabetes... And I'm 34.

Don't take it personally Lily, as others have said I imagine it was just a case of ignorance and not anything malicious. 🙂

 

[Lily123]

I can honestly say that until I was diagnosed, I knew absolutely nothing about diabetes... And I'm 34.

Don't take it personally Lily, as others have said I imagine it was just a case of ignorance and not anything malicious. 🙂

I wasn’t trying to take it personally, as he didn’t know I had diabetes I wouldn’t have anyway but it’s just the way he used it as an insult (not that diabetes is a good thing)

 

[Sally71]

That’s shocking @Sally71 I hope it was dealt with severely.

I don’t know the final outcome but there was definitely an investigation going on involving the senior leadership team and they said once they had identified the right people there would be sanctions. Daughter has been on the bus several times since and not reported any further problems

 

[Lily123]

I don’t know the final outcome but there was definitely an investigation going on involving the senior leadership team and they said once they had identified the right people there would be sanctions. Daughter has been on the bus several times since and not reported any further problems

That’s good that there haven’t been any further issues. It’s good that it’s being investigated but the annoying part is you never seem to be told what the consequences for what happened were

 

[Lily123]

Okay,I know I may have overreacted at the last situation but today at school someone saw me eating sweets before school to stop a hypo and they said “I wish I was diabetic”. Did I overreacted by going and talking to the head of year?

 

[C6H12O6]

I think unfortunately it is something you learn to live with as people (adults included) frequently speak from a place of ignorance and thoughtlessness. However, I don't think you were necessarily overreacting as it upset you and your Head of Year is there to listen, offer support and guide you. Did you feel better after speaking to them?

 

[Lily123]

I think unfortunately it is something you learn to live with as people (adults included) frequently speak from a place of ignorance and thoughtlessness. However, I don't think you were necessarily overreacting as it upset you and your Head of Year is there to listen, offer support and guide you. Dud you feel better after speaking to them?

I did feel better after speaking to the head of year, I did say to the person who said it that he shouldn’t wish it upon anyone and it’s a horrid thing to say and even after I told the person that they went and told all their friends that the person wished they were diabetic

 

[Lily123]

Certainly sounds like it.
I wasn't there so perhaps there was context, maybe “I wish I was diabetic” actually meant "Please can I have a sweet?"
I have shared out all kinds of diabetic hypo 'medicine' to hungry work mates; cookies, jelly babies, smarties, Mars bar, etc
They never ask to share my Dextro tabs, too much like medicine I guess.

I did correct him and he still didn’t listen. They were lift tablets (sorry all hypo treatments I call sweets as it’s easier to remember)

 

[Lily123]

Did he want to try a lift tab?

They don’t look very appealing, so I don’t think so.

 

[C6H12O6]

I did feel better after speaking to the head of year, I did say to the person who said it that he shouldn’t wish it upon anyone and it’s a horrid thing to say and even after I told the person that they went and told all their friends that the person wished they were diabetic

I'm glad your Head of Year helped. The problem is I don't think that the boy understands the consequences of you not eating 'sweets'. I really wanted a blue inhaler when I was at school because it got you attention and people fussing over you and got you out of PE! I didn't say anything as I was very quiet but I certainly didn't understand the implications of asthma at the time. It's like really wanting crutches until you have to have them, then they suddenly lose their appeal.

Maybe offer him a Lift tablet - as Benny G said they are too much like medicine for most people's taste. Might make him think twice 😉 - cross post, great minds and all that....

 

[Lily123]

I'm glad your Head of Year helped. The problem is I don't that the boy understands the consequences of you not eating 'sweets'. I really wanted a blue inhaler when I was at school because it got you attention and people fussing over you and got you out of PE! I didn't say anything as I was very quiet but I certainly didn't understand the implications of asthma at the time. It's like really wanting crutches until you have to have them, then they suddenly lose their appeal.

Maybe offer him a Lift tablet - as Benny G said they are too much like medicine for most people's taste. Might make him think twice 😉 - cross post, great minds and all that....

Ha! If it happens again I might offer him one. It was because my BG was dropping very fast so I was trying to stop a hypo before it happened

 

[teapot8910]

I’d use these as education opportunities, people are often curious about what we’re doing with either injections or pumps/libres and want to ask questions. You never know they may take a proper interest and you end up with a new friend 🙂