Bullies are a big part of growing up, but sometimes harmless bullying becomes harmful. Sometimes bullying becomes physically or emotionally damaging to your child. Protecting your child from bullies is not easy. The following are five tips for how to bully proof your kids:
1. Self defense course: One of the best things you can do for your child is empower them. If you empower them, they will be less likely to be bullied. You can enroll them in a class like karate, or in an actual self-defense course. This will make them less vulnerable, and more able to defend themselves if they get in a situation where they are physically threatened by a bully.
2. Make them a ” tattle tell”. Most kids that are bullied have to put up with it for moths and months. The main reason is that they are afraid to tell on the bully, and thus they never have anyone intervene on their behalf. As a parent, you have to teach your child the difference between telling on someone to keep themselves or others out of danger, or telling on someone just to get them in trouble. A tattle tell is known for the later. A bully proof kid, is a kid who doesn’t let the bully get away with anything.
3. Encourage buddy systems. If you want your child to be bully proof, you should encourage the buddy system. Bullies are less likely to choose a victim that doesn’t have a friend or someone else with them. It is far more difficult to bully someone who has backup. So, encourage your child to have friends and to stick with them at school, at parties, and the like.
4. Monitor online use. Much of today’s bullying is done online. Your child may not have bruises, black eyes, etc. to show you that they are being bullied. They may be bullied by an anonymous screen name on the computer. So, to make sure that they are not bullied online, monitor their use, and limit it. Make sure they do not visit public chat rooms, or give out incriminating information on social sites, as this can be used to bully them. Remind them not to post information or pictures that could lead to bullying.
5. Encourage your child’s school to have safety talks, classes, and no tolerance programs. One of the best things you can do to bully proof your kids is make sure that they areas they are in are less likely to have bullies. If your child’s school will suspend someone who bullies, there is less likely to be bullies on campus. Programs that teach kids how to handle their feelings in more productive manners can really reduce the bullying, and help your child not have to deal with bullies any longer.
A bully proof kid also needs to have self confidence, so help them build it so you can rest easy.
Parenting viewpoints from parents in the trenches, because parenting doesn’t come with a manual. In addition to