How to Deal With Bullies and Stop Bullying as a Parent

Feb 26, 2011
Prerna Malik

Prevent Bullying and Abuse as a Parent - zzclef

Bullies are an ugly reality of a child's world. Here is how you, as a parent, can help preschoolers deal with bullying in the playground or at school.

Bullies can make a preschooler’s life almost nightmarish. Bullying isn’t just something that older kids do. A younger child, such as a preschooler, can also be a bully. If you’re a parent to a preschooler who might be facing a bully’s meanness, here’s what you can do to help your child.

Understand That Bullying is a Big Problem

Bullying is a reality. By understanding that a bully may be the reason your preschooler wants to miss school or not go out to play, you’ll be acknowledging your child’s problem. Sometimes, it is easy to miss the early signs of a bullied child and attribute it to personality characteristics – shyness, stubbornness or introverted.

Talking to a Preschooler About Bullies

If you suspect your child is being bullied at the school, in daycare or at the playground, talk to him about it. But don’t make it a long-drawn discussion. Instead, using an example or simply talking about your day, bring the topic up. Let your child open up and share the real reason behind wanting to miss school or playtime. Bullying can be verbal and physical and it can be for a variety of reasons. A child may be picked on for looking different, being from a different culture, for having learning difficulties, or simply because the bully seeks attention.

Deal With Preschool Bullies Through Books and Resources

There are several books that can help you, as a parent, to learn about bullies and bullying. The Bully, the Bullied and the Bystander: From Preschool to Highschool – How Parents and Teachers Can Help Break the Cycle by Barbara Coloroso is one of the best resources that you can turn to when dealing with bullies and bullying. She outlines many ways in which parents and teachers can act in order to tackle bullying at school.

If you’d like your preschooler to feel better and stronger, pick a few books that you can read together. Flightless Goose by Eric D. Goodman is a lovely, simple tale about a goose, named Gilbert who was bullied by his friends when he couldn’t fly like them. Bullies are a Pain in the Brain by Trevor Romain is also a useful book that highlights the importance of seeking support and talking about being bullied.

There are also, plenty of resources out there that can help you and your preschooler to tackle bullies. You can find reliable publications and resources at the Girls Health.gov website. There are articles, documents and information that can help schools and families to prevent violence and aggression in young children.

Dealing with bullies, aggression, hitting and abusing is not what a preschooler is equipped to do. Understanding the problem, seeking support through books, groups and resources and being there for your child at all times, will make the experience less traumatic and give your child the encouragement and strength he needs.

Sources

Barbara Coloroso, The Bully, the Bullied and the Bystander: From Preschool to Highschool – How Parents and Teachers Can Help Break the Cycle, Collins Living, 2004.
Eric D. Goodman, Flightless Goose, The Writer's Lair Books, 2008.
Trevor Romain, Bullies are a Pain in the Brain, Free Spirit Publishing, 1997.