Jesus Creed
From WaPo, by Ashley Trexler:
Bullying starts and ends with an imbalance of power. Too much or too little, the results are often the same: bullying behavior is simply a means to gain more power.
Here are eight ways you may be unknowingly encouraging bullying.
1. Gossiping
Want to raise a mean girl? Act like one…
2. Being too busy to show you care
You love your family. But relationships have their ups and downs, with the direction often being down after children enter the picture. When was the last time you told your partner or family members that you loved them?…
3. The “I hate mys”
… They hear their hero (you) act helpless and that will make them feel powerless too….
4. Mini-me syndrome
…Current culture encourages us to treat our kids like mini-adults. But we forget that we are adults (trying to be, anyway), and most of us took decades to be able to even partially manage all this stress. … And an outlet for stress? Bullying.
5. Over-scheduling your kids’ activities
We are scared our kids will be at a disadvantage if they don’t participate in everything….
6. Inconsistent rule enforcement
7. The triple-play: wincing, waiting, watching
Bullying happens at every age. Every time you watch someone or something happen that you could help prevent with word or action, you are a peer to bullying….
8. Forcing your kids to share
Sharing is a learned skill that takes time, maturity, and encouragement to develop fully. Ripping a toy out of your kid’s hand to give it to another kid? Bad idea. Talk about sharing, encourage sharing, but most importantly – teach sharing….
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