How to Handle Bullying

October is a month that has been dedicated to the anti-bullying initiative, however, this is something that should be addressed continually throughout the year. It is something we are all familiar with, but when your child becomes the victim of it, it can be difficult to decide how to handle the situation. Teach your children early on that it’s not okay for anyone to treat them poorly. If one of the kids hurt their feelings at school, be sure to tell them that just because someone said something mean about them doesn’t make it true. Let them know that it … Continue reading

Bullying

Bullying has been around since the beginning of time. We have all been touched by it at some point in our lives, whether as children or as adults. I recently read an article that stated that bullying is on the rise again. What a sad sentiment to think about. Every time I see the kids out at recess I am reminded of just how true these statements are. Kids are getting meaner and meaner. For many children school is no longer a safe haven. How do we help our children navigate through these difficult school years, especially as a single … Continue reading

When Children Are Violent

Could your child become violent or aggressive towards you? I don’t think there is a parent in the world who could look at their young child and think that one day he or she would be violent towards them. Sadly, this is becoming more and more common. Children are becoming violent and the person who is taking the brunt of that violence is their parent. Some children quickly learn how to manipulate and control their parents and that can lead to more aggressive behavior when they are older. The very people who love a child are the ones the child … Continue reading

Cyber Bullying

Usually my ex husband and I get along. I believe we have done a better than average job of getting along for Hailey’s sake. In the beginning my ex was not all that pleasant and there were times when he said things around Hailey that were inappropriate but once he worked through his anger about the divorce things got better. We have even celebrated holidays and birthdays together so Hailey would never be torn between her parents. Friends and family couldn’t believe how well we got along. That all changed when Hailey turned eighteen. Suddenly her father was not speaking … Continue reading

Helping Your Child Deal With Bullying

Kids can be just plain cruel these days and it is only getting worse. It seems they are finding the silliest things to tease each other about. Just this week my cousin was complaining that the kids were bullying her daughter for having red hair. Of all things to be teased about! This little girl is beautiful, but her self-esteem has been crushed by the mean things that the other kids are saying at school every day. How can we expect our children to go to school every day when they don’t feel safe there? The whole situation breaks my … Continue reading

Creating a Positive Preschool Environment for Your Quiet Child

I was a quiet child. It took me years to develop enough self-esteem to stand up to bullies. I remember being bullied from an early age. This started in very early elementary school, likely kindergarten, and continued far into high school. My daughter is a similarly quiet sort, except at home, of course. As we prepare to enter public school next year, I have thought a lot about the ways in which our current preschool helps to create an environment that reduces bullying. Preschoolers are just learning social skills – many adults are still learning these skills! But they do … Continue reading

When a Child Makes a Racist Taunt To Another Child

No matter how much we read about adoption, there is a tremendous tendency to believe that your own kids are not getting questions or comments about race or adoption. The last few blogs have talked about helping to avoid stereotypes in children by having diverse books, dolls, and posters in their environment, and by specific actions and discussions to help kids develop empathy and learn about the contributions people of various races have made and are making to our society. Now I will mention some suggestions for a time when a child actually says or hears a racist comment or … Continue reading

When Your Child is Teased

Teasing is supposed to be fun, right? At least that is what my mother taught us when we were growing up. She had two pat statements. One was “teasing is supposed to be fun” and the other was “if no one is laughing is not funny.” This was her response when we would try to excuse our mean-spirited behavior or things we said to others by saying: “It was a joke!” Still, sometimes our children have friends or peers who take teasing a little too far–or our child is especially sensitive–and teasing becomes a problem. I’m differentiating teasing from bullying–where … Continue reading

How Parents Should Deal With School Bullying

Bullying. Unfortunately, this problem seems to be growing in schools these days. Fortunately, more schools are becoming more adept at handling the problem. What should a parent do when her child comes home from school in tears as a result of a bully? The bully doesn’t have to be using physical force to pick on another child; words can cut just as deep and hurt just as much. What if it is your child who is the victim of the bully? First, if your child shares with you what is happening at school, feel so grateful. A lot of children … Continue reading

What To Do About Bullies

My son is being bullied at preschool nearly every day, in fact, almost all the kids are. This little boy is younger than all the other kids, and frankly isn’t even supposed to be in the preschool room, but was so hard to handle that they kicked him out of the toddler room and sent him in with the big kids hoping things would be better. Needless to say, they’re not. The teachers are getting beat up, the kids are getting beat up, and my son isn’t enjoying preschool the way he once was. Bullies are becoming more and more … Continue reading