Bullying: How to Help Children Overcome It | El Paso, Texas, USA!
This week’s article is quite the sensitive subject. As you might have seen it on my Facebook page, this week’s and next week’s theme is tolerance. But, before talking about tolerance, I want to tackle something very important to me, not only as a school teacher, but as a human being. The subject is bullying. Each one of us has been bullied at least once, maybe by kids at school when we were children ourselves, maybe by family members who didn’t know better and brushed it off as silly games, or maybe now, by a boss or a colleague.
Being bullied is one of the worst experiences someone could go through. I know, because, as a child, I was bullied. I also know people who were bullied as kids. And sometimes, I see it where I work. Children calling their schoolmates names, bullying them on social media, shoving them etc… Sometimes, a group of children will all gang up on one child and leave him/her out on purpose. This gives the bullied child a sense of loneliness and makes them hate school.
One of the reasons I became a school teacher was to help kids who cannot help themselves. Being someone who was bullied as a kid, this is extremely important to me. This is why I decided to write this article. Not only to help parents of bullied kids, but to give you some tips on how to raise a tolerant child, who will accept difference, and more importantly, embrace it.
So, here’s what you can do as parents, to prevent your child from being that kid who pokes on others for fun:
- Teach your kids about other cultures, and make them discover other people’s traditions. This way, they will not be afraid when they meet other people, but more likely be curious and not judgmental. They will learn that different people are interesting, and that they can be their friends too.
Be Present in Your Child’s Life:
- Most of the time, when a child is a bully, it’s because they feel neglected at home. Their parents don’t give them enough attention, and bullying is a way for them to seek out this attention by whatever means possible. So give your child enough time, ask them about their day at school, and show genuine interest in their lives.
Make Your Child Feel Loved:
- A good night story and a kiss on the forehead can take you a long way. Be sure to always show your child some love, even if you’re not the emotional type. Hug them, kiss them, spend time with time, give them gifts unexpectedly, or just have a nice talk with them and help them with their problem. This way, they won’t feel the need to bully someone because they lack love and attention.
Be An Example:
- Some Children Bully Because They’ve Seen Their Parents Being Violent or aggressive towards other people. For them, you’re a role model and everything they aspire to be. So let them aspire to be a good, loving, tolerant person.
As we can see, raising a good child takes a lot of work, but it is every parent’s responsibility to do just that. Don’t shy away from showing your child that love and respect can take them a long way in life. Please let us know in the comments how you might implement those few tips we gave you. Until next time, friend!