Dealing With Bullies

Schools, the press and society are starting to improve our countries response to bulling. But, bullying still occurs every day.  As parents and guardians, we want to protect our little ones but we cannot be there all the time. What steps can you take to help prepare your child to deal with bullies? Here are a few tips:

·         Tell your child to avoid the bully as much as possible. Stay away from him/her on the playground.

·         Have your child practice standing and walking with confidence. Bullies usually pick on people who are smaller and physically weaker than they are, or who they feel will not retaliate

·         Don't let a bully make your child feel bad. Teach your child that when someone says something bad about them to think about something positive about yourself.

·         Don't reward the bully with tears. The bully wants to hurt your feelings, so act like his name-calling and taunts don't hurt.

·         Teach your child to use humor when dealing with a bully. Throwing a joke back at a bullies taunting, can often diffuse the situation.

·         Most importantly make sure your child is comfortable keeping the lines of communication open with you.

If you think the bullying has gotten out of control, contact your child’s school for help.