Okay, so here’s a weird glimpse into private school life…
On Friday 13th there’s a tradition where all 1st years at a private school (sprogs) are in danger from all the older year groups (especially the bitter, vengeful 2nd years).
Weirdly enough, it’s a kind of socially acceptable bullying. It never goes ‘too far’ because older year groups don’t usually have anything in particular against kids in younger year groups (although that might have changed now with the advent of social media). Usually bullying happens with kids in the same class or year group. At least that’s how it was when I was growing up.
If you’re concerned that your child might be bullied… or might be the bully, it can feel like you have little or no control over it. You don’t ever want them to get hurt. And you want them to be able to be confident and stick up for themselves in a way where no-one messes with them, just because of who they are.
How do you get them to be confident enough to stand up for themselves, courageous enough to ask you or their teachers for help if they need it… and ultimately be safe from (and ideally protect others from) the bullies?
Well, I have 2 answers for you:
- JiuJitsu. No, seriously. A lot of the most popular mixed martial artists actually got started because they got bullied in school. JiuJitsu is one of the safest, most fun, most effective ways to learn to protect yourself. I consider basic training essential for all boys and especially for girls in this day and age. It can be a fun activity that you do along with your kids. It gives you the competence to know how to handle a physical threat (even from someone bigger than you).
- The Switch. Not just for your kids, but more importantly for the parents. Your insecurity and fear about what might be happening in school and your desire to protect your kids might lead you to interfere in a way that makes things worse. Not only that, but it’s unlikely your kids will learn to protect themselves and be confident enough to repel bullies, if they don’t see that you’re super-confident and fully believe… in their ability to handle school for themselves. They might be cowering behind you and standing in your shadow. It’s not about you. It’s about them being able to do for themselves what you want to do for them.
How does The Switch help you become the best parent you can be… even in tough situations like your kids being bullied?
It gets you to a point where you drop your insecurity and fear around your kids so you can actually be a source of support for them… no matter what they’ve been through.
In order for that to happen, you must first drop your own attachments, fears, and insecurities around how good of a parent you are and how good your kids are.
You won’t need to debate whether you’re being ‘too strict’ or ‘too lenient’… because you’ll actually have developed such a strong bond with them that they’ll open up to you in ways that other kids just aren’t able to with their parents.
This has happened to hundreds of parents who have been through ‘The Switch’ before you and it will continue to happen for everyone who goes through The Psychological Switch after you.
Knowing how your mind and your child’s mind works in reality is the most valuable thing you can possibly do for yourself as a parent.
To get started, smack the link below:
