In the era of #metoo, it is more important that ever that we teach our kids ways in which they can speak up and stand up against bullies and harassment in all shape and forms.
if your child is unprepared and unaware of what bullying can look like, he or she might experience it and not be able to express whats happening. It doesn’t serve any child to be defenseless when it comes to bullying, and the best way to empower them is to prepare your child in advance. Have a conversation with your child on how to deal with bullying what the signs to look out for are before it happens.
When most people think of self-defense, they think of hitting back. the essence of self-defense has nothing to do using violence or striking someone. It’s about being aware of your surroundings, listening to your gut, knowing when to leave before a an issue gets out of hand and learning how to use a (confident) your voice and how to stand up for yourself. Here are five strategies children can use to defend themselves against bullies.
Trust your instinct.
Teach your kids to be aware of their surroundings. If something doesn’t feel right it’s important to be more vigilant. It is crucial that we teach our kids to listen to the inner voice and pay attention. Being aware of what’s going on around them will help them assess a situation based on the information their surroundings is giving them. Trusting their instincts will not only will help protect your child from bullying but it is also an important life skill. The earlier they can learn to be aware of it the easier it will be to trust their instincts.
Building Confidence.
A great way in preventing bullying is to build self-esteem in your child which will give them a boost in confidence. Having good posture, making eye contact and verbal assertiveness by speaking up when necessary. By contrast, if a child slouch and keep their eyes averted, it can make them appear to be an easy target. Work with your children on these techniques. And awaken the power that lies within so they don’t feel helpless.
Flight over Fight
Too often children have hard time realizing when asituation is heading in the wrong direction and when to walk away. Our job as a parents is to teach them that walking away from a bad situation is not being weak or cowardly. On the contrary, it takes courage to walk away from a situation that is escalating.
Using self-defense techniques
Although you shouldn’t encourage your child to fight, there are certain self-defense techniques they can use to protect themselves when attacked. For instance, there are techniques for blocking a punch that is thrown at them. There are also techniques for removing a bully’s fingers from their wrists as well as techniques on how to get free when being restrained. And there are techniques on how they can defend themselves from a group attack. All these strategies can be learned in a self-defense class.
Remember, when teaching your kids about self-defense skills against bullies, encourage them to diffuse the situation by using a strong voice or walking away. Also, Make sure your kids know that it is acceptable and encouraged to make a lot of noise if someone is threatening them or hurting them.
Taking a Self-defense class.
One great thing you can do is to enrol your child in a self-defense class. There are many options out there for kids of all ages, find one that suits your child and where they can have fun. Your child will not only learn how to defend themselves, but also build their confidence and teach them discipline. Most times, diffusing a verbal bullying involves knowing how to respond verbal assertiveness with confidence before it can ever evolve to physical bullying. These are the steps we can all take as parents to teach our kids how to stand up for themselves.
