Other Episodes
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February 28, 2013It's that time of year, when many parents are looking at preschools and try to make what is for some…
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Fighting a lot?
February 21, 2013Most spouses fight, but many do not know how to make-up in a way that repairs the relationship. Rona…
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Gratitude for Lovers
February 14, 2013Whether or not you are a romantic person, and whether or not you like Valentine's Day, here's my…
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How Hectic Are Your Mornings?
February 07, 2013Rona and I are frequently asked how parents and caregivers can make morning routines go more…
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How Hectic Are Your Mornings? (Tips)
January 31, 2013Tips for a peaceful and easy morning routine
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Is Yelling the New Spanking?
December 20, 2012Most parents yell at their kids at one time or another, but as stress and exhaustion increase over…
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Managing routines, sleep, and sugar intake so kids can thrive
December 13, 2012The holidays are so fun, but many kids get really out of whack. How to manage moodiness and…
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Comments
You gave great tips for dealing with bullies, but you
left out one element of your title, bystanders, and
it seems to me to be the most important one,
especially in middle school. My son is, to my
knowledge, not a bully. He’s very kind and
empathetic in general, and I hear this from his
teachers and other adults who are with him when
I’m not. He saw the film “Bully” at school and was
very upset by it. So this is not my concern.
But he’s also very socially sensitive. Now, in middle
school, he’s worried (out loud, to me) about
“standing up” for his friends if they are bullied.
He’s afraid that this is a good way to get bullied
himself. He’s also afraid that standing up for an
“outsider” type of kid, or running to get help (i.e.
tattling), would lose him his friends. This would
break his heart, so he’s pretty reluctant to even
consider it. He may not be entirely wrong about
this last thing—kids this age are pretty quick to
judge and take sides.
So, it’s all very well to tell kids they should help the
underdog, or tell an adult—but how do we ask
them to risk their friends? How do we ask them to
put themselves at risk for bullying? And/or how do
we help them figure out the right thing to do,
without putting themselves at risk for more than
they are able to handle?
Perhaps another podcast? ☺
Karen | 12:10 pm, October 25, 2012 | Link
There is no doubt that it takes a lot of courage to
stand up to bullies! This is a great topic for discussion -
- Rona and I will discuss it in a future podcast. Thank
you for the question and suggestion!
Christine Carter | 11:11 am, October 30, 2012 | Link