It’s Monday morning around 9 am and you have just finished your coffee and are settling in to your usual work routine for the day. You look down as your phone begins to ring and get a knot in your stomach- it’s one of those phone calls you dread taking. It’s the principal at your child’s school asking you to come pick him or her up because they are at it again- he or she IS the bully.
Are you this parent? Some parents have a hard time coping with the fact that their “baby” is bullying other kids at school. It’s a hard pill to swallow and could make you feel like you have failed at parenting.
Do not be discouraged! Research shows there is no correlation between bullies and race, religion, family structure or income level. Bullies are all shapes and sizes and come from all different types of families. There is no mold to being a bully.
If you are this parent, there are ways you can help your child sort through why they are being mean to other kids at school. Here are a few tips:
- Talk with your child to find out why he or she is bullying
- Ensure the behavior is bullying and not a disability (if your child has a disability, a bullying plan can be addressed in his or her IEP)
- Be careful what you do and say at home around the child (sometimes they pick things up unintentionally from home)
- Teach them how to appropriately interact with others
- Create a plan for your child and inform his or her teachers so they can help back you up at school
You can also help your child by asking them to write a journal of their feelings. This will help them learn how to express how they feel and could help them stop bullying other children. Also, role play with them so they understand what behaviors are acceptable and how to handle different situations they might find themselves in.
At The Broach School of Jacksonville, we do not tolerate bullying. Be sure to contact your school to see how they handle situations like this and be proactive in helping them resolve bullying if your child IS the bully.
