How to Deal With Your Kids’ Bullies
Even if your kid is not being bullied right now, it does not mean he or she is safe in the immediate future. What exactly is bullying? When teasing happens and both kids find it hilarious, then it is not bullying. When your kids begin to get humiliated or hurt, then it could be said that he or she is being bullied.
Be aware of the kinds of bullying
There are actually a lot of kinds of bullying: psychological, physical, or verbal. There are kids who bully by spreading bad rumors about your kid. Then there are those who simply use texting by phone or by email. Actually, in extreme cases, we know that bullying incidents led to some shootings in schools.
Learn to recognize the signs of bullying
You could not help your son or daughter if you could not recognize the signs. If your child has been acting quite differently, or not eating well, or suffering from insomnia, these could be signs that he or she is being bullied. If for no apparent reason, he or she would rather walk to school than take the bus, then check if a big bully could be right there in the ride.
Know the things that you can concerning bullying of your kids
When you think your kid is being bullied but is hesitant to disclose it, use a creative approach. Use parallel situations of bullying in TV shows, and ask him or her about his thoughts.
It is crucial to let your child realize that if he or she is being bullied, then your child should talk to somebody, preferably you as the parent of course. However, if your child could not bring himself or herself to open up, but is willing to tell a school counsellor, then so be it. (After all, you could get all the inputs from the counsellor later on, it is not exactly a lawyer-client thing. If the kid makes the counsellor promise not to tell you, then that is another story).
There are times when kids feel it is their fault, and they do not open up to the parents for fear that they would not be believed. It is crucial to make your child know that communication lines are always open, and that there is trust between you (the parents) and him or her.
Bullying should not be scoffed at, and it is not unheard of that the bully would get meaner when the bully learns that the kid has told his or her parents. A practical approach is to go to the bully’s parents, a nasty chore, but fruitful in the general sense. In some cases, teachers could be a big help too.
Give your child a few helpful pointers concerning bullying
Here are some tips that you could give your son or daughter, as countermeasures to bullying:
# As much as possible, do not go to the bathroom or locker room alone. This private place is where bullies can harass your child.
# Contain the anger. It is so easy to tell the child to “hit back,” but chances are, this would just aggravate matters. Walking away is not cowardice. Emphasize this point with your child.
# Ignoring the bully is a good thing. Usually, when bullies notice that their bullying is not having any effect, they would get bored. They would then look for other kids to bully, and that would not be your problem anymore.
Bullying could be discerned through warning signs, and, when recognized, the parent has at his or her disposal many courses of action. The crucial objective is to put an end to it, while at the same time, dealing with the kid’s feelings of shame, guilt, and anxiety.
Photo Credit : Chesis Fotos – CC
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