“My Daughter was bullied because of her weight”, one mother told me the other day 🙁
More than ever, young girls are facing painful social challenges that require real skills to respond..
If you have a daughter, it is likely that she has been faced with bullying and friendship issues once.
Some young girls can be mean to their classmates, I see this play out often in school.
As a parent, are you worried about mean girls?
💥Today, I will be sharing some practical tips that your child can use on their own to confront social difficulties in an empowered way.
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Some parents believe that dealing with bullies the ‘old-fashioned’ way is best – “if they hit you, hit them back”. This approach may seem like the best way to end bullying – but in the long run, it encourages bad behaviour in your own child.
If you tell them that it’s ok to hit a bully, they may carry that into other situations in their lives and think it’s the best way to react when things don’t go their way.
But it’s important to advise kids not to respond to bullying by fighting or bullying back 😊
✅What Can Parents Do?
If your child tells you about being bullied, please try to stay calm and listen.
Kids are often reluctant to tell their parents about bullying because they feel embarrassed and ashamed that it’s happening, or worry that their parents will be disappointed, upset, angry, or reactive. So don’t overreact because they may not tell you stuff again.
All you can do is hear them out and then talk to them calmly and promise them that you will look into it. Be supportive of them 😊
Help your daughter respond and react to bullying when it starts.
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WHAT TO SAY TO YOUR CHILD👇
✅The first thing you can say to your daughter is that being bullied is never her fault
✅Let her know that she does have options whether it’s doing her best to ignore the other girl’s behaviour, standing up for herself.
✅Let your daughter know that no matter what the bullies say about them, it’s simply not true.
✅You and your child can also practice strategies that can help them to stand up for themselves.
For example, if someone teases them, simply replying “that wasn’t kind” and then walking away can do the trick.
Teach your child that bullies want them to shrink or cry and take up less space so that the bully can feel bigger and more powerful.
So, learning assertive body language like holding their head up, and walking tall can help your child to feel more confident.😊
✅Encourage them to practice “cool down” strategies such as counting to 10, writing down their angry words, taking deep breaths, or walking away.
Sometimes the best thing to do is to teach kids to keep their face calm until they are away from the bully. (smiling or laughing may provoke the bully).
✅You can also speak to your child’s teacher about your concern.
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Bullying can be stressful and distressing for children and difficult for parents, but with these tips as a starting point, hopefully you and your child can rise above it and move on.
And even if bullying isn’t an issue in your house right now, it’s important to discuss it so your kids will be prepared if it does happen. 😊
Let me know your thoughts about this in the comments below 👇
Positive Parenting With Olu 