Activity One
(ages 8 - 10)

Key points

A child's physical and emotional safety is important.
Being a person who bullies,
or being someone who is bullied, is not ok.

Note: Emotional abuse can have a serious effect on your child. For example, your child's physical and mental wellbeing could be under threat if they are being bullied. Teachers are working hard towards minimising the effects of bullying in schools, but physical and emotional abuse, including bullying, also take place outside the school. If you are particularly concerned that a child in your home is a victim of bullying, or is someone who is bullying other people, you may wish to contact your local police. They may have suitable materials and resources to help you.

You can keep children safer from emotional abuse and bullying by communicating with them in ways that help to increase their sense of self-worth and wellbeing.

Being Up Front examines different ways of communicating with children, including different methods of praise and discipline.

Before you begin the activity

Give your child an opportunity to talk about bullying at school by asking:

"Do you have kids who bully other people at your school?"
"Do you know children who get bullied at your school? Tell me about them."
"What is the worst thing that someone has called you at school?"

Activity

Complete the activity Hurting by talking about, and then recording, times when you were hurt (emotionally or physically) and also recording times when you might have hurt someone else.

When you have finished the activity

Finish this activity by saying to your child, "Sometimes other kids can hurt your feelings by doing things like calling you names, being mean, or hurting you. If they do this a lot and it makes you feel unsafe, scared, or worried about them being around, you might need help from an adult to stop them making you feel this way. It is NOT your fault if someone bullies you."

"Sometimes we hurt other people's feelings when we don't mean to or by accident. But it's not ok to hurt other people just because you may not like them or because they are different from you. If there is a child at school who annoys you or who you don't like, talk to me about them and I will listen to you."

Put your completed activity sheet on display as agreed between you.