| Dear Lanae,
Does teasing end when kids graduate from elementary school? Does it stop when they move on from middle to high school? Will it magically disappear when they become adults? Or is it sadly true that most of us will encounter bullies throughout our lifetimes?
Because we can’t ensure that the world will always be sweet and kind to our kids, common sense tells us that we ought to equip them with skills that allow them to cope with this sometimes less-than-considerate world.
Listed below are some basic principles that can help kids when they encounter teasing or bullying:
- Teach them that bullies get their power from our negative emotions. The more upset we get when picked on, the more powerful mean kids feel.
- Show your child how to trick bullies by pretending to be calm. If our children can learn to act calm when bullies hassle them, they become far less attractive targets.
- Teach your child to confuse or bewilder bullies by responding to verbal taunts with replies like, “Thanks for noticing” or “I appreciate the feedback.”
- Help your child develop great social skills so that they are liked, accepted, and protected by positive peers. Kids who don’t know how to relate in healthy ways often find themselves gravitating toward peers who treat them poorly.
Using these principles, parents can empower their kids to handle, and overcome, teasing and bullying. Instead of rescuing them, you can walk beside your kids as they move from the role of victim to victor.
Learn more tools and strategies that will empower your kids to handle teasing and bullying by joining Dr. Daniel G. Amen and me for our next FREE Online Event, When Your Child Is Teased or Bullied. Register now for this event, which will be held January 11, 2024. |
