WHEN KIDS TEASE
BY GINGER HUBBARD
“ JJ ’ s making fun of my face !”
“ Averi ’ s laughing at my drawing , and it ’ s not supposed to be funny !”
“ MOM ! Tell Gracen to stop teasing me !”
SOUND FAMILIAR ?
T easing can manifest in many ways between children : mocking ( imitating someone to make them appear and feel stupid , silly , or ridiculous ) or insulting ( verbally ridiculing or belittling someone to make them appear and feel inadequate or less significant ). Whether the teaser is criticizing , belittling , or making fun in a joking way , teasing falls under the biblical category of “ unwholesome talk ” that fails to benefit the listener . In fact , unwholesome talk does just the opposite . It tears down the listener , directly violating God ’ s commands to love others ( John 13:34 ) and build them up ( Eph . 4:29 ).
TEASING IS A HEART ISSUE There are at least three reasons why children might tease : to get attention , to entertain , and to verbalize what they truly mean , with the latter typically losing the merit of truth when
“ just kidding ” is quickly added after the verbal jab . All three motives are selfish , as they bring satisfaction to the teaser at the expense of hurting someone else .
If there is an audience , the motive is most likely geared toward receiving attention and entertaining . The motive is selfish when seeking attention or a laugh takes precedence over the feelings of others . Desiring attention at the expense of someone else violates God ’ s command to value the interests of others over our own ( Phil . 2:4 ).
When children use teasing to say what they really mean , it is equally selfish and hurtful . Some children use teasing or joking to send hidden messages because they lack the nerve to speak candidly about their feelings . When called on it , they backpedal with , “ I ’ m just teasing .” The “ I ’ m just teasing ” is a falsehood because they spoke about how they really felt . They were not truly teasing .
44 THE RENEWANATION REVIEW