Knowing that a bully is making your child miserable is the worse feeling in the world. Your instinct is to do everything in your power to resolve the problem and make your child’s problems go away.
The problem is that you need to calm down and think about what the best way to handle the situation really is.
Flying off the handle and confronting the child could result in criminal charges being filed against you. Telling your child to deal with the situation usually makes things even worse.
The best course of action is scheduling a meeting between yourself and your child’s teacher. Hopefully, the teacher will have some actual thoughts on when the bullying is taking place and how to handle it. Don’t be surprised if figuring out a resolution requires bringing additional people, such as school administrators and bus drivers into the meeting.
If the situation can’t be resolved, you may have to explore alternative classrooms and schooling options.
Communicate with Your Child
Sitting down with your child and having a long conversation with them about the situation is another good step towards resolving the situation. Knowing that you understand and are empathetic does wonders to help heal your child’s psychological trauma. More importantly, knowing that you’re on their side encourages your child to open up about additional bullying problems, which helps you keep tabs on the problem.
Find Ways to Boost Your Child’s Self-Confidence
Getting the actual bullying situation under control may take time, but while you struggle to deal with that, you can do things to make your child feel better. Encourage them to hang out with their close and kind friends. Get them involved in activities that they love. Explore enrolling them in counseling sessions where a professional can help your child work through the emotional damage while also providing your child with better coping options.
The most important thing to remember when dealing with a child that’s being bullied is that you’re an adult and have to handle the situation in a manner that’s both pro-active and calm.