If your child is being bullied - 20 top tips for parents

Keith is now in fourth grade and he dislikes school. For a fourth grader, this does not sound right. The reason Keith dislikes school though does not have anything to do with academics. Keith is being bullied before school, at school, and on school bus. Who can blame him for not wanting to go into that environment? The basic definition of bullying is when someone keeps doing or saying things to have power over another person. Bullying involves crossing into one's space without permission. Isn't bullying just something that happens to all children and we're just making a fuss over this? The children will get over it, right? Shouldn't we tell Keith to grow up and handle it? Wrong. Bullying happens to far too many children and adults shouldn't be ignoring it. WHAT CAN A PARENT DO? If Keith is being bullied and he is not reporting it to his parents then there are some very important questions to address. · Why wouldn't he tell his parents? · What message have Keith's parents sent to him about bullies? · Does Keith's parents have a history of dismissing what he says? · Possibly Keith's parents have had a habit of getting too involved in solving his problems. Tips for parents: · Encourage your child to report any bullying incidents to you. · Validate your child's feelings. It is normal for your child to feel hurt, sad, and angry. · Ask your child how he/she has tried to stop bullying. Asking questions is a wonderful way to have your child do thinking. · Ask how is he/she going to solve this. We want child to do thinking before we jump in. See how many options he can come up with. · Coach your child in alternatives. Ideally best solution is having your child solve this without anyone interfering. Most of time unfortunately, this isn't possible. Share these strategies: avoidance is often an excellent

Why I Love Country Living

As somone who has lived in both places, I can tell you that country living certainly beats hustle and bustle of city life! Living in a rural area has advantages that simply can't be bought at any price.

In city I was bombarded with sounds of horns blowing and sirens blaring. In country I'm soothed by a chorus of whippoorwills, bullfrogs and crickets, along with pleasant sound of a cool breeze flowing through trees.

On congested city streets I had to deal with frustrated drivers and careless pedestrians. On winding country roads I have to try my best to ignore postcard-like beauty of farmland and forests so I can keep my eyes on road.

Yes, country living is lifestyle that I, like most people who have had opportunity to experience it, prefer. Instead of pushy salespeople knocking on my door hoping to leave with some of my money, I have warm, friendly neighbors dropping by with baskets of fresh vegetables from their gardens. Not to sell of course - they simply enjoy sharing rewards of their country lifestyles with others.