No Bullying, even at Home

Two young brothers, Luke and John, loved to play together, and their playtime was often filled with lots of joyful noise.

One sunny afternoon, as their laughter filled the house, their father watched them play. He noticed something interesting: John, the younger brother, always seemed to pick the games, and Luke never got a turn to choose.

"Can we play with the helicopter today?" Luke, the older brother asked.

"No!" John the younger brother replied. "We're playing with the train!!"

Luke's shoulders slumped a little. "Okay," he said quietly, "the train it is."

After a while, it was time to change to another game.

"Now can we play hide-and-seek?" Luke suggested with a hopeful smile. "I'll even count first!"

"Nope!" John said firmly, already reaching for his crayons. "Coloring time!"

Luke sighed. "Okay," he said, trying to sound cheerful, "let's get the colors then."

It was during these moments that their father realized that every time Luke suggested something, John would quickly say no, often without even thinking about it. Luke always gave in, but his smiles seemed a little less bright each time. Their father listened for a while longer and noticed this pattern happening again and again.

That evening, their father called Luke and John to sit with him. He wanted to talk to them about something important called bullying.

"Boys," he began gently, "do any of you know what the word 'bullying' means?"

Both Luke and John shook their heads.

"Bullying happens when someone is being unkind or hurtful to another person on purpose, and it keeps happening over and over again," their father explained. "It can be things like hitting or saying mean words, but it can also be about always making sure only your way is chosen and never letting the other person have a turn."

John's face fell a little as he listened. He started to fidget with his fingers, feeling a strange knot in his tummy.

"So," their father continued softly, looking at both of them, "has any of you ever felt like someone was bullying you?"

At first, they were both quiet. Then, Luke looked down at his hands and spoke slowly. "Well... whenever I want to play something, John always says no. It's like my ideas don't matter."

"John," their father asked kindly, "do you think what Luke is saying is true?"

John stayed quiet for a moment, his lower lip trembling slightly. He knew in his heart that Luke was right. Slowly, he nodded his head.

"And John," his father continued gently, "how do you think Luke felt when you kept saying no to his ideas?"

John shook his head sadly. "Not good," he mumbled.

"That's right," his father said, giving John a warm smile. "Thank you for being honest about that, John. Learn this, it's never okay to bully others. Not your brother, not your friends, not anyone."

John nodded his head in agreement.

Then, their father turned to Luke, his eyes full of love. "And Luke, it's also important to remember that you don't have to accept being bullied. If someone is being unkind to you over and over again, you should always talk to a grown-up you trust – like me, or Mummy, or a teacher."

Luke nodded, feeling a little stronger knowing he could ask for help.

"So, from now on," their father said, clapping his hands together gently, "here's a new rule for playtime. If one person chooses the first game, the next time, the other person gets to choose. That way, everyone gets a fair turn, and playtime will be fun for both of you."

The brothers both agreed and hugged, following the house rule to give each other a hug after a serious talk.

From that day on, their playtime was much fairer and filled with even more laughter, because both brothers felt heard and happy.

The End

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