When Conrad Berry, 7, was teased at school for loving Mickey Mouse, his community rallied around him in a big way.
Conrad’s love for Mickey and all his clubhouse friends runs deep. He has Mickey Crocs, swimsuits, pajamas, stuffed animals — all the swag. When he went back to school shopping, he chose a handful of new Mickey T-shirts. As he prepared for his second-grade year at Harbins Elementary School in Dacula, Conrad planned a week’s worth of outfits, including a different Mickey T-shirt for each day. By the third day of school, however, he replaced Mickey with Spiderman.
“I thought it was odd, because I knew how excited he’d been about all the Mickey shirts,” said Kaitlyn Hamric, Conrad’s mother. “It wasn’t until he was about to leave for school when he came to me crying. He said some kids at school told him he’s too old to wear Mickey. It embarrassed him and really hurt his feelings. I was concerned because last year he was picked on several times. Conrad is a sweet, kind-hearted boy, and kids will be kids. They take advantage of his gentleness. I don’t want another year like that. I talked to him about being confident in what he loves and told him I’d talk with his teacher.”
Hamric said Conrad’s two teachers both responded wonderfully. They had a talk with the class about kindness. They told the students to imagine a metaphorical bucket on top of their heads and set a goal to fill up each other’s buckets with compliments. Conrad is quick to recall his favorite compliment he received.
“A friend told me he liked my shirt,” said Conrad, in a quiet voice.
The teachers also implemented Mickey Mouse Monday, inviting the entire class to wear a Mickey Mouse shirt on the same day.
“The teacher was the only one who wore a shirt besides Conrad, but I told him that could be because some kids don’t have Mickey shirts. The gesture alone meant a lot to us, as did the sincere apologies Conrad received,” said Hamric.
Hamric shared Conrad’s situation on Facebook. The post garnered a warm response. A neighbor sent their story to a local news station and friends and family participated in Mickey Mouse Monday, sending photos of themselves wearing Mickey shirts to Hamric.
“I never anticipated this kind of response,” said Hamric. “I just wanted to share a reminder with my friends that we should teach our kids about kindness and to be mindful of our words. I couldn’t have anticipated all the support that’s been shown for Conrad. Even his older brother, who is a big fifth grader, chooses to wear a Mickey shirt to support Conrad. It’s the sweetest thing.”
Brian Moote, co-host of the Moote, Kimmie & Otis morning show on 94.9 The Bull, reached out to Hamric on Facebook.
“He used to be a kindergarten teacher and said Conrad’s story really touched him,” said Hamric. “They interviewed us on the show, then surprised our family on-air with tickets to Disney’s water parks. Conrad is so excited. This is all just so amazing.”
Conrad is a quiet, brown-eyed boy, who doesn’t care much about attention, said his mother. He plays football and loves it. Football allows another side of his personality to come out, a stronger, more confident side. Football has also led him to new friendships and his first sleepover.
The comments at school have stopped and Conrad is back to wearing his beloved Mickey T-shirts.
“I’m trying to teach him to be confident in who he is and not worry about what others think,” said Hamric. “I want to teach all my kids to remember how important our words are and to always be kind to others. That’s the big message, even to adults.”
When asked what his favorite thing is about Mickey Mouse, Conrad thinks it over a bit, then answers with a smile. “He’s kind to his friends.”
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