They've always been around. Snotty. Snooty. Hurtful with their dirty looks and cut-to-the-core comments. Shunning, exclusive. They make it very clear that you're not in their club.
Bully boys.Stick and stones and fists. They throw their weight around. Intimidating those who are weaker, more vulnerable.
Hurt people hurt people. And it often starts young. In the home, neighborhood, playground, bus. The church. Face-to-face bullying has the potential to escalate to cyber-bullying. And although you may try to protect your child from being so disrespectfully regarded, the truth is that our children don't live in a bubble. Sooner or later they will, most likely, encounter a malicious peer.
WHAT'S A PARENT TO DO?
= We will build a home that is safe, loving, and responsive to our children's needs.
= We will model "speaking the truth in love," with respect, for others.
= We will work together with our children to memorize Scriptures that teach them to claim who they are in Christ.
= We will teach our children how to assert themselves with appropriate confidence and boldness.
= We will assist our children in discovering interesting activities where they can excel and healthy friends to enjoy those interests with them.
= We will pro-actively respond to our children's hurts. We will not hand-wring, over-react, under-react, or sit idly by with the news that our children are facing challenges.
= We will advocate for our children when they are not able to defend themselves.
= We will not hide our heads in the sand if we discover that our child is the bully.
= If we ourselves have been ostracized or bullied along the way, we will make the choice to deal with those buried wounds, in order to freely respond to our children's struggles with gentle understanding and quiet confidence.
Stepping up to the plate with you ~
Linda
Linda
