Raise a Warrior: The Preemptive Anti-Bully Plan

     Bullying is a hot topic and definitely more common than before. Some attribute this to the growing entitlement of newer generations. Some attribute it to social media and schools really pushing it and keeping it on everyone's radar. No matter the cause, we want to do best by our little one's and make sure to do our part. So how do we preemptively avoid being targeted by bullies or even the fake friends and "meanies" we touched on last week? The answer is within the ideal of raise a warrior. Warrior's are strong. They have a foundation of self worth and strong belief in what's right. They are growing into the leaders our future needs. And they are not an easy target. So here are some great things you can start practicing in your home that will help prevent your Little Warrior from being targeted by bullies:

Talk about Bullies:

     The thing about bullying is that children who aren't prepared to handle a bully often become targeted for this exact reason. And if children are unprepared to deal with or recognize the signs of bullying than it can extend for far too long before it is brought to an adult's attention. So talk about bullies. Talk to them about what bullying looks like and why it's wrong. Review it before the start of every new school year or grade change. Teach them the to recognize meanies, bullies, and the whole lot of unkind people that exist out there. 

We believe a child armed with knowledge of the reality of the world isn't scared, they're prepared.

Teach them their worth:

     We all know bullies target kids with low self esteem. And we see on your courtesy and respect sheets that the number one thing most Little Warrior's struggle with is confidence. So how does a Warrior parent combat that? The best thing we've found is to begin early and really focus on developing your child's innate sense of worth and confident body language. Having that firm foundation allows them to instantly recognize when something is not right and bring it to an adult. We have to model this love of self and confidence in our homes. Plus the confident posture and behavior marks them as a harder target and tends to keep bullies away in the first place. It's part of why things like eye contact, respectful assertiveness, and leadership are such huge factors in our program. 

Stay in a group:

     This one seems like a no-brainer to us adults, but you will be amazed at how many kiddos are surprised by this concept and it's results. The truth is that surrounding yourself with good people is always worthwhile. When others hold the same values as you they aren't likely to interact with or tolerate toxic people like bullies. So help them cultivate awesome friends! Teach them to seek out morale warriors, and to surround themselves with strong like minded leaders. Even one healthy friendship goes a long way towards being an anti-bully shield.

Have open communication always:

      A lot of bullying goes unreported. And it is heartbreaking to imagine our little ones going at it alone when bullying is likely to continue or escalate. The reason this happens is because bullies primarily work with fear. The threat of something worse or unknown is so much scarier than the tolerable place where a bully and a child are now. So the bullied suffer silently. They're afraid they'll let us down, that their friends will look differently at them, that they'll get in trouble with us or the schools. Some kids are even afraid that their martial arts instructors will be mad at them for 'fighting.' This couldn't be further from the truth. So check in often. Make sure your child see's you as a judgement free zone they can bounce ideas off of. It will save you both a lot of pain in the long run, because you don't have to fear that bullying is occurring in secret. 

We know these steps don't guarantee your child's scholastic experience will be bully free, but raising a warrior pays such priceless dividends in so many ways. So persevere Warrior parents! And if you're having problems with bullies, or meanies, or anything in between we're in your corner and have your back.

#RaiseAWarrior