“A characteristic of the normal child is he doesn't act that way very often.”
- Unknown
Dear Family,
During a recent Developmental Guidance lesson, your child’s class viewed a short video called Stop Picking on Me! The objective of this program is to demonstrate effective strategies kids can use to protect themselves against teasing, harassment and bullying. Child actors depict several situations in which kids are being teased. They then model ways to resolve each situation in a safe and positive way. The video also emphasizes that teasing is NOT fun for the person being teased.
When we help children learn and develop positive social and coping skills, we provide them with a repertoire from which to choose productive actions in a variety of difficult situations. These skills are important and necessary for successful and healthy social interactions and emotional management. Children who lack these coping skills can easily become angry, distraught or withdrawn when faced with an upsetting situation. This only makes them more vulnerable to future incidents.
The following points were emphasized in this video:
- Teasing/bullying is hurtful and makes us all feel unsafe
- Fighting does not solve problems and it is not safe
- Walking away is one strategy
- Think about safety first
- Acting confident is an effective deterrent
- Ask an adult for help
The class had an informative discussion and had much to share. Ask your child what they learned from this lesson, and how it might inform their future behavior in challenging situations. As always, I recommend keeping the lines of communication open between you and your child. Talk to them about their friends and monitor whether they are making emotionally healthy choices.
Sincerely,
Ms. Cahill
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