Bullying is a growing problem for today’s children and knowing how to talk to your about the realities of bullying can seem overwhelming. Follow the guide below to encourage healthy conversations with your child to help build them into well informed and confident children.

It starts at home.

It’s important to teach children while they are young about respect and treating others how they would want to be treated. There are a lot of different personalities, style choices and backgrounds that children will be exposed to when they start school and it can be easy for them to laugh at something they aren’t used to.

Have open conversations.

Have nightly discussions with your child about their day and if anything is happening that is making them feel uncomfortable. Keeping the communication open lets them know that it’s okay to speak up if something does happen.

Speak up.

Kids are often taught not to tattle on someone, but bullying is never okay. Talk to your child about the importance of speaking up and doing the right thing if they notice someone being bullied or they are being bullied themselves. Instruct them to tell a trusted teacher or school worker about what they witnessed.

Be the bigger person. 

Most of the time bullies just want to get a reaction out of the person they are tormenting. Teach your child to walk away from situations that can easily escalate.

Basic skills.

Sign your child up for self-defense classes that are appropriate for their age group. A good program should cover things like body language and verbal skills to help deter bullies, but most importantly, it should include physical training. Having a foundation of physical skills is vital for a child to protect themselves if push literally comes to shove. There is no better self-defense program for children than Krav Maga. It’s unique program combines scenerio-based training with simple but effective moves that are designed to work, independent of the child’s size, strength or height. Training drills are designed to build confident and strong children who can stand up for themselves and others if necessary.

Check out Krav Maga Dallas’ Youth Program. Classes are based on age groups (Ages 6-9 and Ages 10-13) to ensure that your child receives vital self-defense training specific to the threats they face at their age. Plus, a flexible class schedule makes it easy for busy parents! Get set up for a free class or call us with questions (469) 939-1949!

Originally sourced and edited from Krav Maga Worldwide