What you describe is a part (I’d like to say a big part) of why my parents decided to homeschool me and my sisters. Kids were mean, teachers were mean, they wanted to fit my older sister into a box and she just didn’t quite fit…there’s much more to it, obviously, but damn. Going to school is traumatic, and why? Is it even natural for kids that young? Either way, I’m eternally grateful I got to stay home and that my early years were shaped by a warm, loving, supportive environment. Learning from my mom, sitting on the couch.