How to Help Your Child Cope with Bullying
How to help your child cope with bullying. Being picked on, called names, and pushed around are all signs that your child may be the victim of bullying. Many times, your child will feel uncomfortable or withdrawn when discussing these issues. They also may not know how to get the bully to stop without being bullied even further, with more severe circumstances. This can lead to mental health issues, like anxiety, depression, or even suicide when neglected over time. Our counselors in Orlando can help both you and your child openly discuss their bullying issues and provide many coping strategies to overcome this obstacle for good. There are a few strategies you can implement as a parent to help your child cope with bullying.
Provide them With Positive Words
Whenever your child is being bullying, they may struggle to find positive aspects of themselves. They may start to listen to the messages of their bully, which can ultimately give them a negative self-perception and affect their self-esteem. Provide them with positive messages and words of encouragement to repeat when their bully is telling them otherwise. This way, they have plenty of other thoughts to fill their mind instead of the words of their bully.
Teach Distractions and Avoidance of their Bully
Teach your child strategies that help them ignore or avoid their bully, if possible. Sign them up for sports or other extra-curricular activities that encourage socialization with other groups of children that can become positive influences in their lives. Provide them with alternate routes to take in the hallways at school. By providing your child with different ways to distract themselves or avoid the bully, you can hopefully lessen the bullying behavior over time.
Monitor the Bullying
As a parent, you will want to be aware of the type of bullying that is occurring. Name calling and picking on your child are just two types of bullying. However, when the bullying becomes violent or aggressive, it may be time to involve a third party. This helps to avoid any potential dangerous situations. Always be sure that your child is safe before sending them into an area with the bully.
Encourage Them to Ask For Help
Making yourself approachable is one way to help your child feel comfortable. Be able to discuss complicated and perhaps confusing parts of their life. By making sure they are comfortable, you can encourage them to ask for help when needed. If they do not feel comfortable talking to you as their parent, provide an alternative person for them to openly discuss their bullying issues. You can take them to a professional counselor in Orlando that will be able to provide insights and strategies they can easily implement into their life so they can positively cope through tough times of bullying.
These are just a few strategies you can try to implement to help your child cope with bullying and overcome its challenges in a positive way. By openly communicating with your child, you encourage them to ask for help when they need it. This applies to all difficult circumstances in life, not just to bullying. When you are looking for the help of a counselor in Orlando to help your family through difficult conversations, contact us to schedule an appointment today.
