When Your Child is Being Teased

Have you ever felt helpless as a parent? It is not easy to sit by and watch your child suffer because they are being teased, harassed, or something else. However, there are things you can do. If your child is being teased, do not just sit around doing nothing; take action:

The most important thing you can do for your child if they are the victim of teasing, is be supportive of them. Listen to their needs. You will want to ask them about the situation, and then really listen as they explain it. Don’t be thinking about what you can do, or how upset it makes you, just listen supportively without trying to solve the problem. Often, this is just what a child needs, someone to care, listen, and vent to. If you listen to the situation, you can better understand it and assess how it is truly affecting your child. Is it making them struggle with their self-esteem? Is it making them wish they could switch schools?

Teach your child how to interact positively with others.

Once you have had a chance to hear what they have to say about the teasing, and evaluate the effects of it, you should ask your child if they want you to handle it for them, or if they want to try and handle it themselves. For example, they may want you to step in and talk to their school, or to the kid’s parent. On the other hand, they may not want you to do anything. If they don’t want you to do anything, don’t, as this can cause further problems. Instead, just watch the situation carefully, and if you find that things are getting worse, then you can step in and do something about it.

Next, help you child learn some techniques for handling being teased. Often when children are teased, they lash out physically, and aggressively, and then they end up getting in trouble, even though they didn’t instigate anything. Instead, talk to them about why kids tease, and that it is usually because they feel left out, or powerless, or because they are jealous of them, or something similar. It usually has to do with their own esteem, and nothing to do with you. If a child understands this, they are going to be less hurt by the hateful comments, and mean teasing.

Last, but not least, help your child feel secure at home. If they are in an environment of teasing everywhere they go, it could have long term effects on the esteem and self-worth. So, make sure you are conscious of their insecurities at home, and don’t tease them about them, instead try to turn them around and build their esteem.

If the teasing gets out of control, do something about it. Don’t let your child’s sense of self worth be ruined by some bullying kids.