Make sure you and your child know warning signs of bullying PDF Print E-mail
It seems sad and strange to think about bullying when your child is only in preschool. But bullying is not just a problem for older children. It can begin early.
Prepare your child now to help protect her later. Teach your child that it is never okay to:

* Cause physical harm, such as by hitting, pulling hair or pushing.
* Harm a person's property. Bullies who know they will get in trouble for hitting may instead sneak off to steal a child's coat and drag it through the mud.
* Call bad names, especially bad names about the way a person looks or about his family or background.
* Try to involve other children in hurting someone's feelings. "Don't let Jill play with us. She's yucky."

If your child experiences these, she should:

* Speak. Teach your child to say, "Stop that. I don't like it."
* Walk. Turn and walk away from the bully.
* Tell. Your child must tell a teacher or other adult about bullying. Most schools have strict policies against bullying. The sooner they hear about it, the sooner they stop it.
* Talk to you. Let your child know you are there for her and you are going to help in any way you can.

Reprinted with permission from the March 2010 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Early Childhood Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2010 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: KidsHealth, "Bullying and Your Child," Nemours Foundation, www.kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/bullies.html.