![\"superpower-02\"](\"https:\/\/bigbrownmonster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/superpower-02-1024x793.png\")
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When BBM picks Pinkxi up from school, they have a little ritual of telling each other about their day since the droppoff earlier in the morning. Sometimes Pinkxi’s\u00a0exuberant about her day and others were, well, as routinely mundane as BBM\u2019s. There are also days which Pinkxi doesn\u2019t feel like talking very much, BBM thought perhaps she had grown a little tired during those\u00a0days and tries to perk her up with the promise of ice cream when they get back. Besides she\u2019s a growing kid and one should always expect (and respect) certain degree of mood swing every now and then.<\/p>\n
A couple of days back, BBM was going through the motion of asking her about her day, when she duly yakked off then trailed into silence before she even touched on playtime. BBM had thought nothing of it then since he was more concerned about navigating through the tricky after-school pickup traffic. When he tried engaging her with where she\u2019d left off, Pinkxi was trying to ignore and avoid answering. A third try gathered only Pinkxi\u2019s reluctant mumbling of \u2018I forgot\u2019. That totally tripped\u00a0the parent-sensor and BBM made\u00a0a mental note to\u00a0revisit the matter at a later time.<\/p>\n
Post dinner and ice cream made Pinkxi a jolly critter.<\/p>\n
BBM was hopeful in fishing out more details of her playtime and possibly her reason for going silent earlier. Little by little BBM asked about her usual playmates, where they played, what they played before Pinkxi finally divulged that another group of critters had displaced them their usual play area, told them to squat under a tree and not to move before playtime ends. Not only that, they had also been told not to flag the incident to the teachers. At this point, Pinkxi was visibly upset about the whole episode and was reduced to whimpers.<\/p>\n
BBM asked if Pinkxi or any of her friends had told these nasty critters off, but being physically smaller,\u00a0 <\/span>she said they stay squatted the whole time. Pinkxi was uncertain how best to react (possibly there was some degree of shock since she had never encountered such treatment before) and they really did what they were told\u00a0till the bell rang. BBM served up another scoop of icecream and asked if any of them went off to tell the teachers after the bell rang, but that did not happen too. Possibly for a lil critter, it was instinctive\u00a0to simply put it aside and rejoin her class as soon as possible. Afterall it\u2019s now \u2018safe\u2019 and there\u2019s class to attend.<\/p>\n Over dessert, BBM told Pinkxi that she and her friends were actually rather brave, and it was certainly not nice to have some obnoxious critters come and push them around. That was simply BULLYING and reiterated that bullies can and must be dealt with, just like in the books and cartoons on tv.<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps Pinkxi simply needed a super power!\u201d BBM said with a wink<\/p>\n \u201cBut I am not strong. I cannot run very fast. My friends do not have superpowers.\u201d she mumbled while dipping into her icecream.<\/p>\n \u201cI think you do. Remember what I said about being brave? That is a superduperwhopper power. You have a little bit of that and so do your friends. When all of you put your brave-bits together, I think it\u2019s a remarkable superpower\u2026and bullies are bad guys who are afraid of this super power!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNext time you and your friends must come together to say no these nasty critters. If\u00a0they are still nasty after you say no, then the friend\u00a0who can run the fastest can try\u00a0to find some help from a teacher or even other friends who are playing nearby. You know, even superhero teams need help from their friends from time to time!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLike the different teams of superheroes in your comics?\u201d She lit up.<\/p>\n \u201cYes yes yes. So not only is it important to be brave, you must also try to make more friends during playtime. Maybe you can ask more friends to join in your games. Or you and your group of friends can join others rather than playing by yourselves all the time. Then you will have more friends to help each other when these nasty bullies come back. If you have more friends, then you will have more brave bits and\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe have OUR SUPERPOWER!\u201d Pinkxi hooraaahed and chowed down her remaining dessert.<\/p>\n BBM nodded. He can only hope that the lesson sinks in soon, as he watched another bit of her kiddy innocence melted away like his remaining ice cream.<\/p>\n