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A RESOURCE FOR DEALING WITH BULLIES

Everywhere I look and read, it seems like the topic of dealing with bullies is in full swing. Last month we had to deal with a bad situation involving my daughter where she was mentally and physically being bullied by a group of boys in her class. Thankfully the school counselor and resource teacher were a great help to us and have worked with my daughter and the students bullying her to ensure that behavior is stopped.

a resource for dealing with bullies

child image via Shutterstock

Last week, Jody spoke on Periscope on bullies and what kind of “rental” space they are taking up in our heads. Bullies are not just on the school playgrounds. We see them in all areas of our kids’ lives as well as many areas in our own lives as well. Adults can get bullied just as easily as kids and it is something that we need to address.

As a parent, or care giver of a child, it is important for them to know that as much as there are unkind kids in their schools or on their sports teams, there are also unkind adults out there as well.

Teaching our children by example is one way to get their attention. So often we adopt the “DO what I say, not what I do” motto and our kids will not respect us for it. Living by example is one way to make sure our kids are learning the right tools for life.

When someone is mean to us as adults, it will do our kids a world of good if we can show them that these people are not allowed to “rent our head space”.

A great example that Jody uses is that you rent your mind out to all the thoughts in it. If you are giving “rental space” to something or someone, is it paying for itself? In other words, does it make you feel happy and safe? If not, why are we giving that person or thing the power to dictate what will be in our head?

Resource for dealing with bullies

If your child is suffering from allowing bullies or bad experiences to rent their head space, here is a great resoruce for dealing with bullies

If your child is suffering from allowing bullies or bad experiences to rent their head space, sit down with them and talk through what takes up the space in their minds. Encourage them to find happy and healthy things to replace the negative and bad people and things that they think about.

It would also be a great example to show your child what you want to let “rent your head space”.  Print out the above resource for dealing with bullies HERE.

Stay tuned for Mommy Moment Monday Mornings (starting Monday March 14) when Jody will address other mom/parenting/life topics on PERISCOPE. Make sure to join her there!

(note from Jody: When I had this conversation with my 10 year old about bullies I initially drew a head with bubbles around it showing the things that took up rent her head – after our talk my daughter ran upstairs to her bedroom and came running down a few minutes later with a journal that she got with her Maplelea doll – in the journal she flipped to a page that had head similar to the image resource above with actual spaces to write in the head – when sharing this post I thought it was such a great idea to actually show the things inside the head instead of in the bubbles so I drew the head as best I could for all of you.)

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Kim Tanti

Sunday 6th of March 2016

My daughte was bullied for 4yrs. Once you have been targeted they all jump on the banwagon. Teachers see nothing do nothing and say nothing. I tried to help her talking talking and talking. Then I got cancer my hubby got sick. She went threw depression anxiety and cutting. Life was very bad. I finally taught her how to punch and told her if anyone got in her face or space and was giving her a hard time deck them. She finally did. That was the end of the bitchy girl bulling. Then evey time a boy said the slitest thing I phone the principal. It has all finally stopped and life has gotten back to normal. Bullies are cowards and the only way to deal with them is give them a taste of their own medacine. I grew up in a rough part of T.O and with 6 siblings and had to learn to hold my own. Now I have to teach my child that life style even in a small town. Just to keep the cowards at bay.