I Know I Can't Always Protect Him

As a teacher, as a mother, and as a former child, I understand that kids can be cruel, but it kills me when my child comes home from school and tells me that someone called him stupid.  Yes, to a kindergartener the word "stupid" is exciting and is the new buzz word.  I taught kindergarten - I get that.  With all that said, the look on my son's face today as he was telling me how one of his classmates called him stupid just enraged me.  I was pissed and hurt for my child.  He already has to deal with a three year old brother that calls him stupid and dumb and points out all the things that he can do better and faster than my older son.  That I can handle.  That I can kind of shield him from.  I can't shield him from the mean things kids will say at school.  And it wasn't like it was even related to school work of any kind.  My son was being silly and the other kid called him stupid.  It happens every day in every school, but this is MY kid.  We have been working hard to help him know what to say to kids that say things to him that are mean.  We have been coaching him to walk away, let things roll off, and to realize that no, you are not any of those vile words that kids will call you.  As his mother, I am still working on letting it roll off.  Kids will be kids. They will say hurtful, mean, cruel things to each other.  I can't change it.  Hell, I know a lot of women who do the same thing.  I cannot protect him from the world.  I cannot put him in the bubble that I so desperately want to put him in.  All I can do is coach him how to let things roll off, to walk away, and to know that he is so far above those vile, ugly words.  Dear Lord, this mommy stuff is hard!