"So?"

A couple years ago we got a book written by Bill Cosby that I read to my kids called "The Meanest Thing to Say" - the lesson in the book is that when kids are making fun of you or calling you bad names you just say "so?" as a comeback. Great lesson. Great book.

We have been trying to teach this lesson to my oldest child especially on the days he would come home crying last year because of something mean said to him. Well it finally sank in -  as he tells me yesterday: "mom I told the truth".  Me - "that's good - about what?" .  Child -  "well my friends were talking about their favorite shows and were making fun of  the "girl shows" I like to watch on the Disney channel, so instead of making fun of them too, I said that I liked them and when they made fun of me for liking them I just said 'So?'".  I was a proud mom - my son stood up for himself. We pray that he'll be able to stand up for himself and be a leader not just a follower and for the first time I know of he was able to do that yesterday. Yes I know JD probably wouldn't be happy that he stood up to his friends about watching "girl shows" on the Disney Channel. (although JD and said childe both frequent the Disney channel and both know all the songs in Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam - so he can't say much).  I was just smiling all night as I thought about our little boy standing up to his friends and then using the lesson "so?" that we had been trying to teach him. Maybe they do listen. Thanks to Bill Cosby and Disney Channel for this good parenting moment.