National Stop Bullying Day – Tips For You And Your Family

Today (Wednesday, October 14th) is National Stop Bullying Day, an act that is one of the most terrible we face in our society....especially for our kids growing up. Today we hope to share some tips for parents and kids to help prevent bullying. In addition understanding bullying. Stopbullying.gov has a plentiful website with great information and references dealing with bullying and we wanted to share with our parents and kids.

Let's start with ways of understanding "bullying" according to stopbullying.gov

"Kids who know what bullying is can better identify it. They can talk about bullying if it happens to them or others. Kids need to know ways to safely stand up to bullying and how to get help."

Talk about how to stand up to kids who bully. Give tips, like using humor and saying “stop” directly and confidently. In addition talk about what to do if those actions don’t work, like possibly simply walking away.

Talk about ideas for staying safe, such as staying near grown-ups or groups of other kids.

Push for kids to speak to a trusted adult if they are bullied or see others being bullied. The grown-ups can give comfort, support, and advice, even if they can’t solve the problem directly. Encourage the kids to report bullying if it happens.

Encourage your kids to help kids who are bullied by showing sympathy, kindness or getting help.

"Parents, school staff, and other caring adults have a role to play in preventing bullying."

Encourage kids to do what they love. Have your kids continue what interests them....special activities and hobbies can boost confidence, help kids make friends, and protect them from bully's.

Help kids understand bullying. Talk to your kids about what bullying is and how to stand up to it safely. Tell kids bullying others is unacceptable. Make sure kids know how to get help.

Model how to treat others with respect and kindness.

Keep the lines of communication open. Talk with your kids often. Listen to your kids. Know your kids friends, ask about school, and understand their issues.

These are just some of the tips you can find at syopbullying.gov, on the National Stop Bullying Day do your best to help