Image zoom Credit: 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.
Image zoom Credit: Getty Images.
Socialization begins in early infancy when babies cry, smile, and coo at their caregivers. Friendship naturally evolves from these early expressions. It evolves so naturally that adults don t always take time to explain the concept to children until they have their first fight or friend breakup. Giving [friendship] a label early on [gives] kids.a greater.understanding of themselves and their peers, says Molly O Shea, M.D., a pediatrician for Goldfish Swim School in Bloomfield Township, Michigan.
Adults can start talking about friendship with children as early as 9 months, and realistically, children will begin to better understand what a friend is as they start having more peer-to-peer interaction around 2 or 3 years old.