Santa - an anti-bullying hero?

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By Lauren Seager-Smith
CEO, Kidscape

My four year old son was belting out Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer and it struck me that despite being nearly 70 years old it is an anti-bullying tale for our time.

Rudolph has a red, shiny nose so the other reindeers laugh at him, call him names and won't let him join in their reindeer games. Sounds familiar. So how is it dealt with? Does Santa say 'it's your fault Rudolph - if only your nose was less bright you wouldn't be bullied by the other reindeers', or, 'it's only a bit of reindeer banter Rudolph', or the classic, 'just bite them back Rudolph and show them who is boss'.

No - Santa is a progressive, he thinks creatively, he takes action despite the fact it's Christmas Eve and he's got a lot of children depending on him. Santa sees that Rudolph's bright, red nose is a brilliant thing - and asks him to guide the sleigh. Result. Not only can Santa see his way and deliver the presents but Rudolph has gone down in history; not any of the other reindeers whose names we can never remember.

So here's to anyone out there who feels like a bit of a Rudolph this Christmas - we love you - and let us all be a bit more like Santa!

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