First Bullying Incident

We had our first bullying incident at the park in late May. Jili's hat came off, exposing her scarred, partially bald head. A boy, probably in fourth grade, starting yelling, "Oh my God, her head scares me! Get away from her!!" He proceeded to encourage other older children to run from her. Of course, I was right there, and I snapped at him immediately and retorted: "You should know better. She's just a little girl." He kept lingering in the area, and I watched him. My glare apparently scared him so much he started stomping his feet, saying, "You're scaring me lady! Why are you looking at me like that?" I said, "I've got my eye on you, kid, because you were being mean to my little girl. Where are your parents?"
Then, he ran to his mom and tattled on himself. I walked up with Jili at my side, and explained the comments that he had said to her. His mother told him that his actions were inappropriate, and said, "I talked to you about not doing that. How would you feel if somebody teased you?" I thanked her for her talking to her son, and we walked off.
I knew that day would come. I just did not know how I would respond. I know that I will not always be there to protect my daughter, but I hope that I will possess the strength to teach her to be proud of who she is and to be resilient against unkindness or ignorance. Despite the fact that Jili was unaware that she was being teased, Jili and I had a conversation about bullies. I told her to never cry if someone says something mean to her. To walk away. To say, "Whatever, I don't listen to mean kids." Of course, we role played, with me being the bully. I said, "I don't like like your shirt...hat...hair." Jili said back to me, "I don't care what you think YOU STUPID KID!" Wow, maybe she can take care of herself after all.
I am forever looking for ways to help my children and my students learn about adversity, compassion and empathy. I am on a path to discovering how I can do more, as I write, as I parent, and especially as I teach. I do have an idea for my book to bring everything into the forefront, but only pray that God can enlighten my perception and bring it all into focus for me.
I am considering setting a non-profit organization in the future, with a similar interest. It is a common interest in my life that keep resurfacing, and am I trying to decide which path to take. If there is anyone out there that has experience with setting up a non-profit organization, please contact me privately at: jillkoeppe@yahoo.com

Jill :)
Fortitude: Strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage - Merriam Webster's Dictionary