January is a time of reflection. A time to look back on the past year and determine what we want to be different about the coming year. And when it comes to parenting, if you're like me, there are a lot of things that you would like to do differently in the coming year.
Aside from spending more time with my kids, my list includes everything from instilling good manners to encouraging my kids to be kind and considerate in all they do. And let's not forget encouraging my kids to read more and use technology less, helping them to go beyond what they are learning in school and prompting them to practice the things they enjoy like sports and music.
But perhaps at the top of my list is bully-proofing my kids to the best of my ability. Although there is no one sure-fire way to prevent bullying in a child's life, there are a number of things parents can do to make it less likely to happen.
For instance, you can prevent bullying by instilling resilience. And, you can teach your kids how not to be bullying victim. You also can impart self-esteem, prevent relational aggression, help them develop friendships and foster these four traits - assertiveness, friendship skills, self-esteem and social skills.
Other bullying prevention ideas include:
- Bullying Prevention in the Early Years
- 10 Ways to Prevent School Bullying
- How to Bully-Proof Your Middle School Daughter
- Bullying Prevention - What Works Best?
Even if bullying prevention is not the motivation behind your resolutions, resolving to be a better parent is still a worthy resolution. What are your parenting resolutions this year? Email me your ideas. You also can connect with me on Twitter.
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