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Illustration: Yeji Kim.
My son just turned 6 years old and he’s often bullied and hit by his friends. Though we try a lot, we cannot teach him to stand up for himself. With school being shut for nearly a year now, things are getting more difficult for him despite most of his interactions being virtual, at least that’s what we feel. How can we teach him to protect himself?
Mom of Bullied Child
Dear Mom of Bullied Child,
One of the most disillusioning parts of parenting is watching how mean children can be, and when it's directed toward our own, it's downright heartbreaking. These peer interactions at young ages do matter for social development in the big picture, so I'm glad you are reaching out and want to take action! Fortunately, you have several ways to approach the problem, and he's at a great age to make some changes.