12-year-old Brody Ridder came home from school with a close to empty yearbook. He only managed to get two teachers and two students to sign his yearbook, even though he asked many more people. Since he didn’t get many signatures, he decided to write himself a note. He wrote, “Hope you make some more friends.”
Ridder’s mom, Cassandra, told NPR he wrote the note because he was being bullied at school. “Parents need to teach their children kindness, open up that dialogue. And if you see your child being mean to somebody else, talk to them about how that could possibly make them feel. Talk to them about intent versus impact,” said Cassandra Ridder.
She sent a message to the school Facebook group and posted it on her own Facebook account. She said, “My poor son. Doesn’t seem like it’s getting any better. Two teachers and a total of two students wrote in his yearbook. Despite Brody asking all kinds of kids to sign it. So Brody took it upon himself to write to himself. My heart is shattered. Teach your kids kindness.”
But when she posted it to her personal Facebook, it blew up, and Brody started receiving all kinds of support. Celebrities, companies, and even random people showed their support.
Paul Rudd, the actor behind Ant-Man, sent Brody a handwritten note and an Ant-Man helmet that had a note on it. “We put it in one of those little helmet cases,” Cassandra said. “Now he’s storing it in his room, displaying it. He’s so proud of it.”
When Brody returned to school, a group of high schoolers came and took a picture with him and signed his yearbook. Cassandra said, “He’s excited to try to put himself out there to make more friends.”
Ridder’s mom, Cassandra, told NPR he wrote the note because he was being bullied at school. “Parents need to teach their children kindness, open up that dialogue. And if you see your child being mean to somebody else, talk to them about how that could possibly make them feel. Talk to them about intent versus impact,” said Cassandra Ridder.
She sent a message to the school Facebook group and posted it on her own Facebook account. She said, “My poor son. Doesn’t seem like it’s getting any better. Two teachers and a total of two students wrote in his yearbook. Despite Brody asking all kinds of kids to sign it. So Brody took it upon himself to write to himself. My heart is shattered. Teach your kids kindness.”
But when she posted it to her personal Facebook, it blew up, and Brody started receiving all kinds of support. Celebrities, companies, and even random people showed their support.
Paul Rudd, the actor behind Ant-Man, sent Brody a handwritten note and an Ant-Man helmet that had a note on it. “We put it in one of those little helmet cases,” Cassandra said. “Now he’s storing it in his room, displaying it. He’s so proud of it.”
When Brody returned to school, a group of high schoolers came and took a picture with him and signed his yearbook. Cassandra said, “He’s excited to try to put himself out there to make more friends.”
