Bullying isn't something that's new. For as long as there have been kids, some have turned into bullies and others have been the victims of bullying. The difference is that the situation seems to have gotten considerably worse in recent years with kids snapping under the intense pressure. The horror stories that have come out in the ten or twenty years have caused parents to look at their own children and wonder what they can do to help prevent them from turning into a chilling statistic.
The first thing you need to do is make sure your child has a great deal of self-confidence. Bullying works because children let it get under their skin and erode at their self-esteem until they start to believe everything the bully says to and about them. Once they start to doubt themselves, it's very difficult for the children to get themselves back to normal. Kids who already have a great deal of self-esteem will be much better about letting the hurtful comments bounce off of them.
You need to take an active interest in your child's life. It doesn't matter whether you think they are being bullied or not, you should make it a point to talk to your child every day about what happened during school, who their friends are, and any other aspect of their life. Encourage them to be open and honest. These regular discussions not only prove you care, but also make you more likely to pick up on the early signs of bullying.
Children who take part in Wayne kids karate classes quickly learn the self-defense skills they will need if they ever find themselves facing a physical altercation. Even though your child will most likely never need to use these skills, and has actually been told to avoid physical altercations whenever possible, knowing they can take care of themselves goes a long way towards them being able to ignore the school bully. The skills they have developed bolsters their sense of self-confidence.
One of the things many parents worry about when they enroll their child in a kids karate class will be that they're encouraging their child to take violent action against school bullies. The opposite is true. Not only will the instructor work hard to make sure you child fully understands their skills should only be used to protect themselves, your child will also get a great education on how they can avoid confrontation altogether. Thanks to the training they receive in the Wayne kids karate class, your child will understand there's nothing wrong with walking away from a bad situation.
The sooner you enroll your child in a martial arts class, the sooner they will start to develop the skills needed to help them deal with bullies.