The key words are: “how can you protect”.

I am a firm believer that children need to grow up and learn how to handle things by themselves. If they try something that is wrong (drugs or alcohol) and it has consequences, especially if they get caught. They have to pay those consequences and I don’t get involved. If they have problems at high school with the teachers, they need to learn how to work it out. Before they entered high school, I was there to help work things out between them and their teacher, but as they get older they should be capable to work it out themselves. I will always be there to guide and help them if needed, but they have to take control of their lives.

That being said, when it comes to cyberbullying or for bullying in general, I am also a firm believer that in a tactful manner, you need to be in everyone’s face. And that includes your child’s.  If you have a gut feeling that something is wrong. DO NOT IGNORE IT!

One of my daughters was acting off. I knew something was wrong but I didn’t know what. She kept telling me to leave her room. I refused.  I sat on the end of her bed for a half hour telling her I was not leaving until she told me what was wrong, at which she finally told me about being cyberbullied.

I read a stat on http://www.how-to-stop-bullying.com/cyberbullying.html

               That said that 58% of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online and they have never told their parents. More than 4 out of 10 say it has happened more than once based on the “2004 i-SAFE” survey of 1,500 students grades 4-8

That means if you have two children at least one of them will experience cyberbullying.

What are you going to do to protect your child?

You cannot stop it from happening and you cannot be there 24/7 to protect them, so what can you do? 

Cyberbullying and Bullying attacks your children at their core. It attacks their self-esteem and self-confidence. All the years you spent building them up can come crashing down if you are not proactive. That is why it is so important to get into everyone’s face. You have to let your child know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are worth fighting for, that they are important to you. If you don’t get involved your ghild will think they are not worth fighting for and that you agree with what the bully is saying. They will think this even if you don’t know anything about it. Because deep inside they still believe you know everything.

Photo from istock

With the advancement of technology, our children are experiencing different things than we did growing up. No matter how old or young you are, it is a different world.

Children in elementary schools on up now have a cell phone. As a parent, getting my daughter a cell phone was one of the greatest things I did. Now she can call me anytime.

No more practices getting out a hour early without me knowing about it. One time that happened when I was walking around  the mall wasting time instead picking my daughter up and going home  to fix dinner.

Unfortunately some people don’t use their great minds to create things like cell phones but use their minds to find  ways to hurt others. This is how cyberbullying was formed.

Cyberbullying is when a child sends your child hate mail through texting, email or social networking sites. It is also when someone post/forwards false information or discriminating photos of your child.

The reason this type of bullying is much more damaging is because it can attack your child anywhere and everywhere. It now enters your home which used to be a safe place for your child, but not anymore.

It is also with your children 24/7 through their phones. Someone can send them a text wherever they are. Through smart phones your child has access to the internet anywhere they are as well as those bullies, plus other children can alter pictures and make it look like your child. Once it is out there, it is almost impossible to take it back.

As parents, we need to take an active role in protecting our children.

You can do a topic a week. With each topic, there are four activities. If you request we will send you a coloring book that you can copy for your students. That way you can read the book together. You can have them color as you discuss the questions. And you will be instilling values in them to help them in their lives.

Thank you for your dedication to your students. You have the ability to touch so many lives. It is not an easy job, but it is so important.

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I used five copies of “The Hidden Swan” with my middle and high first grade students. They loved the book, remarking on how it reminded them of “The Ugly Duckling.” We worked with the first few pages of questions and they gave very insightful responses.
They really liked the coloring pages and wanted to know if they could color them. Several wished that the book was in the “dollar store.”
They were so surprised and grateful when they each got a complete copy of the “coloring book.” They couldn’t wait to get home and share the book with their parents.

Nancy Crenshaw
1st grade teacher
Will Beckley ES