'My son was turning into a bully'

Tom was eight when his school rang me to say he'd been caught hitting another boy in the playground. I was really embarrassed. Tom's lively and can get a bit over-excited but I didn't think he'd do something like that.

That afternoon, I picked Tom up from school but instead of letting him go outside to play, I asked him to sit by himself for a while to think about what he'd done.

After five minutes I went in to talk to him. He knew he was in trouble and was crying. I asked him if he was happy at school and if there was anything he wanted to tell me.

He said he liked school but that sometimes the kids laughed at him and it made him really mad. He said that's why he'd hit the other lad. I explained to him he couldn't behave like that and that I was very disappointed. I pointed out I never hit him when I got mad with him and said there were better ways of dealing with things.

I told him to just move away from other kids who upset him. I also spoke to his teacher again and we organised it so Tom would say sorry to the boy he hit. They've become friends again now and hopefully Tom won't do it again.
Wendy Costello, 36, Bilston, West Midlands

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By Wendy Costello, 36, Bilston, West Midlands