Teach Kids Compassion and Empathy Early in Life to Help Prevent Bullying
This year marks the 10th anniversary of National Bullying Prevention Month and the theme is “The End of Bullying Begins with Me!” Sadly, 1 out of 4 children report being bullied during the school year. At Silver Hill, we believe that you can help prevent bullying by teaching children empathy, compassion and how to celebrate differences very early in life. When a child recognizes how they feel when someone is kind to them and when they learn to imagine how they would feel if someone was mean to them, they are less likely to be hurtful towards another child. Here are five ways to instill these important values in your children.
1. Model Kindness and Compassion for Others
?Your child is listening to you, even when you don’t think they’re paying attention. When a person makes you angry, how do you react? Do you resort to name-calling? How do you talk about your friends and family? If kids hear you speak negatively about others, they will think it’s acceptable for them to do the same. Lastly, don’t speak to your child in a disrespectful way. You can show authority and discipline your child without being insulting, condescending or physical. If you yell, they will learn to yell. If you hit, they will learn to hit. It’s important to model good behavior for your kids.
2. Don’t Accept Inappropriate Behavior
When your child shows you or another person disrespect, correct it immediately. If your child bites or hits you then laughs, tell them in a firm tone, without yelling, that the behavior is unacceptable. If they push another child in gym class, tell them that isn’t nice and stop the behavior. Remove them from the situation when necessary. As a child gets older they will begin to understand consequences, so when they exhibit disrespect, maybe they lose a favorite toy for the day or don’t get to go to the park. Consistency is key at any age.
3. Acknowledge Kind Behavior
You don’t have to go overboard with praise for every nice thing your child does, but when you see them sharing or helping another child, acknowledge their behavior. Tell them it was kind of them and that they are a good friend. Over time, they will learn that kindness is valued.
4. Discuss Feelings
As kids approach elementary school age, they can begin to understand feelings. Use story time as an opportunity to discuss feelings. If the character in the book is sad, ask your child why they think he or she is sad. Let your kids know that they can share their feelings with you and when they are feeling bad, you will try to help make them feel better.
5. Celebrate Differences
Children begin to notice differences in people around age two. Children are naturally curious about differences and will begin to ask questions. Parents shouldn’t try to ignore the differences. Instead, explain the situation at hand in an age-appropriate way. Maybe they see someone with a leg brace; tell them that the brace is there to help the person walk. If they notice that one of their friends doesn’t celebrate the same holidays as them, explain that there are many different beliefs and holidays all around the world. It’s important to emphasize that differences shouldn’t be feared; they should be celebrated. The differences in people and cultures make the world an interesting place.
As much as we would like to eradicate bullying, it is too pervasive and too closely woven into the fabric of societal function and human nature. Bullying is a complex social and cultural phenomenon that is going to require many levels of change. However, parents can prepare children to confront the challenges of bullying.