Don't call other people bad names!

It’s about this time in life, Kieran, that you may run into the problem of name-calling. This is when someone calls you a name that is hurtful or perhaps you call someone a name that makes him or her feel bad. They might call you a “slowpoke” or a made-up word like a “dweeb”. Or you might hear other children telling a classmate that she’s “fat” or “stupid.”

People call each other names because they are hurting inside. They don’t feel good about themselves, and the only way they can feel “better” is by make others feel bad.

And while they may feel better for a little while, they are not a “better” person. No one who hurts another person is a “good” person.

I don’t believe you’re the kind of boy who would call other kids names, for I always taught you as a child to respect others’ differences. Still, sometimes as young people, we get caught up in what our friends are doing and so we fall into a bad habit of calling others names. Sometimes, we see important adults around us calling others names and so we think it’s all right.

It’s never all right to call another person a name. If we have done so, we should tell them we’re sorry and promise not to do it again. Then we should keep that promise. And if we hear others calling people names, we should find a way to get them to stop; at the very least, we should not participate.

If you are ever called a name, do not let it bother you (though I know it does hurt!). When others call people names, they really show how immature and mean they are. Their words only can hurt you if you let them hurt you – and it’s only in your own mind that you think their words are of any value.

OK, enough of my lecture. Go have some fun!