To know that your child is bullying others
is hard as a parent, but you must remain calm and not make your child
feel bad towards you. Instead of instant accusation, try to comfort your
child and tell him/her it's their behaviour and not them that you don't
like.
If you discover your child is
bullying, here are some ways of stopping it:
- Talk
to any amount of professionals you may know to find out the facts.
Depending on how serious the bullying is, you can speak to your child's
teacher, the school councillor, the school staff- the more people
you talk to, the more informed you will be
on your child's behaviour.
- Reassure your child that you
love them, just not their behaviour.
- Teach
your child the difference between assertive and aggressive behaviour.
- Promote good behaviour to your
child and when they do, reward them for their efforts.
- Positive
strategies should be practised by your child. These include walking
away when he/she has an urge to bully or taking slow, deep breathes.
- Try to teach your child good
friendship skills by inviting other children over to meet your child, or
introduce other children to your child.
Anything that is positive to your child's behaviour will help to stop
the bullying problem. Even if your child doesn't respond to your initial
efforts, keep trying, don't give up. Overall, it'll be better for you and
your child.
