Is your child being bullied at preschool?

The general assumption is that bullying among children starts in late elementary school, but you will be surprised to know that bullying starts as early as pre-primary school. Here are a few tips on how to deal with the situation of you suspect that your child is being bullied at school.

Communication is very important. It is important that you convey to your child that you will help if he is being bullied at school. Encourage your child to tell you everything that he is going through in school. If he is being bullied at school, he should not feel afraid in sharing it with you. Start by telling your child stories of children who were being bullied at school, this will encourage your child to open up. Once he has told you all the details of what is happening with him at school, remain calm and don’t judge the situation instead reassure him that you will help him in putting an end to the bullying.

Talk to your child’s teacher. Even though teachers and other caretakers are always present in a preschool, it is not always possible for the teacher to notice everything that is happening in the school. As most bullies strike when nobody is looking it is important that you tell the teacher what is happening so that the teacher will be more vigilant when the children are playing.

Start giving surprise visits to your child’s school. Most preschools have an open door policy and allow parents to visit the school as long as they are not disrupting the normal activities at school. These surprise visits will make the bully afraid and the staff will pay more attention to your child, thus putting an end to any bullying your child is subject to.

Try talking to the bully’s parents. Don’t however be surprised if you find them uncooperative. They may even totally deny that their child is a bully. The bully’s behaviour stems from the environment at home. Domestic fights or inappropriate television shows may be the cause of the bullying.

Make your child strong so that he can deal with the bully. Teach your child how to look the bully in the eye. Complain to the teacher and avoid being alone so that the bully can attack him. You can even have role-playing sessions with your child at home, so he learns how to deal with the bully in a fun way. Confident children are not so likely to be the target of bullying. Find new ways to build your child’s self-confidence. Encourage your child to make friends outside school and get involved in activities that will boost his confidence.

Try changing your child’s classroom if the bullying is very aggressive. If it is not possible to do so, consider changing your child’s pre-school. This will also build your child’s self-confidence that whatever happens you are with him and he will not have to bear bullying under any circumstances. Changing school should be a last resort when all efforts to deal with the bullying have failed.