Skinny

I was a skinny kid.

Either my allergies or asthma medicine made lots of foods taste terrible, so I couldn't stand to eat them and eventually developed scurvy, a form of malnutrition caused by vitamin C deficiency.

Back then there were no clothes sizes for people who weighed more or less than the average, so I usually had to use safety pins to hold up my skirts and blue jeans.

And I got teased all the time by other kids for being skinny.

Even as a teenager and young adult I was thinner than most people, and got teased a lot, especially by overweight people. I never teased anyone about their weight, but they probably did get criticized and made fun of for being fat by others.

Finally, in my early 40s, I got up to what the medical charts say I should weigh.

But I always notice when I see or hear other people getting criticized or teased about their weight and it's far more likely that adults will make comments about others who are underweight than overweight. We all know it's rude to call people fat, but it's equally rude to say someone is skinny.

Yes, being extremely under or over weight can cause health problems (and is often caused by health problems) but people with those conditions are aware of them and don't need to be reminded.

Please, everyone, grow up and quit what amounts to verbal bullying.

Teasing

Teasing can be a form of bullying.

As a child I was teased constantly because I was skinny. (Even as an adult I sometimes got rude comments about that, mostly from people who were overweight.)

The other kids in grade school didn't mention my asthmatic wheezing, which could usually be heard all over the classroom, but that's probably why they were uncomfortable around me. I thought of myself as the class victim and it never occurred to me that I, too, was a bully.

No, I never physically hurt anyone or threatened to do so, but I often "defended" myself by making sarcastic comments or said things laden with sarcasm because I thought they were funny. Looking back, I realize I must often have hurt the feelings of other kids.

Although I can scarcely remember the physical threats made against me, most of which never actually happened, I can still remember some of the nasty comments my classmates made. And I'm afraid some of them might remember similar things I said to them.

A while ago I mentioned a website that gives wonderful advice about how to deal with bullies. On rare occasions in my childhood and as an adult I'd used the tactics suggested there and can vouch for the fact that they do work. I strongly recommend http://www.bullies2buddies.com.

As an adult I try hard never to say things that might hurt someone else's feelings because I don't want to be a bully. And if someone says things like that to me, I know how to react.

More About Names

     Sometimes when people name their babies they don't realize they're choosing something that is a pun or has an unexpected meaning. Those meanings can be appropriate. For example, Joe King (joking)  has a great sense of humor and J.A. Berry (jabbery) tended to talk a lot. But sometimes names, like Terra Bell (terrible) wouldn't have been chosen if the parents had realized what they were doing. 

     I think it's unkind for parents to deliberately give their children names that are plays on words because that sets the kids up for possible embarrassment. I would never have named a child Krystal Shanda Lier (chrystal chandelier) but some parents did.  Of course kids will be teased no matter what they are named, but why make it any worse? It's a good idea for parents to carefully consider all possible variations, nicknames, and initials before naming babies in order to prevent making life harder for their children.