as I mentioned in an earlier post I took charge over some nasty little bullies who have persistently been annoying my kids and their friends. With everything else that was swirling around yesterday I was feeling rather helpless and a bit of a victim.

I called the local police who put me in touch with a community team that deal with these kind of situations. I had to leave my details and have them call me back (they haven't yet but they will or I'll be chasing them!). So I wrote a formal letter to DD's teacher who is apparently in charge of anti-bullying strategy in the school, to let him know in case these people decided to involve the school. I spelled out exatly what I'd done, who was involved and that I was by no means disappointed with the actions of the school. I got a call this morning from the headmaster (just after 9am so this letter moved fast around the school!) and he was absolutely overjoyed to have a parent getting so involved in being zero-tolerance on bullying. Mostly he gets parents stomping in to protect their kids from the teachers regardless of what the little brutes have been doing. And the Community Action Team can't get involved unless a member of the public makes a complaint. He was just so pleased to have someone on their side against the rising tide, to have someone actually follow through on whatever they've said they'll do - as parents seem not to do these days.

I came away from the call feeling so pumped, so empowered and able to take on the world. What a HUGE difference it made to me personally to have taken charge of something when I saw the opportunity. Totally different perspective. Now all I have o do is chase this Community Action Team, because my letter and the headmaster have guaranteed that I have to follow through, even if the folks on the end of the phone don't return my call.

so try it today - take a situation that has been annoying you, niggling at you for weeks or months, get it by the scruff of the neck and let it know who's in charge!!! I guarantee this is a tonic that will do you the world of good and you can't buy it in the shops!!

Kerri.