It’s time once again for Heather from Family Volley to share with us some Parenting Tips as part of her “Parenting Tips Series with Heather Johnson” here on The Idea Room. I for one, really enjoy all her great tips and advice on things that most of us as parents struggle with. Here’s Heather in her own words…
–Amy
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Studies estimate that almost one in three American school children is either a bully or a victim and that 160,000 children a day skip school because they fear being attacked or intimidated by other students.
Role Play (start children young)
- Stand Straight and Tall
- Keep shoulders back
- Don’t show emotion
- Use firm strong voices
Teach Conflict Resolution
Let kids work things out on their own.
Listen to our children
Model Empathy
Dad can make a difference.
Have your kids been bullied? How did you handle the situation?
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Sandie says
Great ideas! Thanks for sharing
Heather Johnson says
Sandie, glad it was helpful. Bullying is a real thing that worries all parents.
Yes! The bullying towards my daughter has caused suiedo seizures. Some kids cannot cope well. Great advice.
Tiffanie,
I am so sorry to hear that your daughter has had to deal with bullies, and the affect they have had on her health. I hope that things are getting better and you were able find some resolve.
Bullying is a BIG problem…I as a mom have experienced what we fear for our children first hand. My oldest son is shy and introverted. He does not play sports, therefor he was a big target. Now that he is in High School it is not as bad, but the one thing I can say is communication with your kids is vital. They need to feel comfy talking to you about everything. As soon as I found out it happened, I was on the phone with my sons principal. He would then handle it by telling the bully that some of the other kids witnessed this and then with punishment. Then his first year of high school, he was confident enough to go the principal when a bully said if he had a gun, he would kill him, Pointed to my son and 2 other boys that are his friends. Parents stepped in and it was handled and that was 2 years ago. It is scary and should never be taken lightly always taken serious…and remember it is not only kids who bully your children…sometimes their teachers do as well. Keep your eyes and ears open and get involved with the school. Make sure the principal knows you and you have established good relationships with them and your childs teachers.
Kelly,
It is heartbreaking to hear that your son had to deal with Bullying. It IS very real, and your experiences and advice is wonderful. Hats off to you for listening to your son, and creating an environment where he felt safe to communicate and confide. What a blessing that in your situation your principle and the other parents were willing to take action and resolve the situation. It sounds like the situations turned out to be a success and your son is stronger as a result of the way it was handled. Thank you for sharing your experiences. They really do help other parents.
What a great post! I am facing this right now with my four year old son. He’s got such a sweet gentle spirit & seems to be an easy target for bullies (at our CHURCH, of all places!)…What you have shared is a HUGE help & I’ll be thinking about it & trying to follow through on your advice.
It makes me so sad that this is even an issue at four years old. What I’m wondering is what I can do as a parent to combat the bully with my child. Afterall, my son’s bullies are very young too. They’re 4 & 7… Should I speak up when there’s a problem & confront the child myself? Or do I talk to their parents? Or do I just let my son practice what I’m teaching him & let him deal with it? What a hard place to be…and it sure does require A LOT of prayer!
Bullying is a serious issue, it is a serious, matter and calls for serious action on the part of parents as children can’t handle it individually. You as a parent should teach your child to be assertive in expressing his or her feelings, they should know how to identify bullying behaviors. Encourage them for taking the brave step of reporting that incident and console them that things will get better, and that you will always be there when they need you. I was scanning through a few blogs and found this article on a Safety Service for my children. It seemed interesting so I checked it out on Facebook and actually got 15 days free. Here’s the article: http://anationofmoms.com/2011/08/protect-your-family-giveaway.html