"Tips for Helping Children Deal with Bullies"

The following is an article I found that was compiled by Dakota County with information from pta.org and Cornell University...

Bullying isn’t just a "part of growing up" - it’s a form of harassment that can have serious consequences. All forms of bullying are detrimental to a child’s self-confidence, but bullying behaviors such as put-downs, teasing, name-calling and threats can escalate to violence. The evening news has shown the serious outcomes of violent actions by bullies as well as victims seeking revenge. One of the best ways to safeguard your children from becoming victims of a bully is to teach them how to be assertive – not aggressive.

Encourage your children to:
• Express their feelings clearly
• Say no when they feel pressured or uncomfortable
• Stand up for themselves verbally without fighting
• Walk away

Parents can:
• Keep communication lines open by encouraging children to share information about school and school-related activities.
• Pay attention to symptoms that may indicate your child is being bullied.
• If your child is a victim of bullying at school, inform school officials immediately.

How can we prevent bullying? Research finds that teaching children empathy is a good way to keep them from hurting others. Tips for building empathy include:
• Explain the effects of your child’s behavior on others. Help him or her understand the importance of sharing and being kind.
• When your child has hurt someone or caused distress, explain why the behavior is harmful and suggest to make amends.
• Encourage your children to discuss their feelings and problems.
• Limit exposure to violent video games, movies and music.

Bullying is harmful to both the victim and the perpetrator. A combined effort between parents, youth, schools and community members is needed in order to eliminate bullying and harassment.

Welcome Back From Winter Break!

It is my hope that this post finds you, and finds you all well after an extended break with your student(s) over the holiday season. We, the Marion W. Savage staff, are excited to return to action and we look forward to continuing to serve students and families to the greatest extent we possibly can.

Personally speaking, I enjoyed my first real holiday season with my son, Emmett. Having only been a mere five weeks old last year, the idea of opening gifts was beyond his comprehension level to say the least. This year, however, at thirteen months of age, Emmett delighted more in the tearing of wrapping paper than the actual gifts themselves, leading Kristi and I to wonder whether or not we should simply give him wrapped empty boxes to tear paper off of next year! The joy of spending the past few weeks with my wife and son has been far more than I could ever expect in any sort of gift during the holiday season. Emmett continues to surprise us with the new words that come out of his mouth - my personal favorite being "bot-tle", a distinct two-syllable enunciation - and he remains simply too stubborn to walk.

I share this information with you to remind you that I, too like you, am a parent, and I understand the responsibility in which you have entrusted us with. I hope that each and every one of you had an enjoyable holiday season, and on behalf of my family, I wish you all nothing but the best in 2009!