It’s that time again and school is just around the corner! Most schools will be starting in the next couple of days to weeks. With COVID, 2020 has been a strange year for everyone and the schools were hit hard because of it. Most schools closed in March 2020 and this month will be the first time many students are back around their friends and teachers. For many students, the excitement to returning to school will be overwhelming and during this extra long break, students may have forgotten things about being kind and courteous to others.
For this reason, we at The Safe Place suggest talking to your students before they return to school. It is important to remind them that being a bully is never something that is acceptable and they should always strive to be kind and helpful towards others. Simply put, remind them to stay POSITIVE:
P- Please, thank you, yes ma’am, no sir, etc. Talk to your children about always using their manners when talking to others. This shows not only kindness, but also respect toward all others.
O- Offer help. If your children see someone in need of help, let them know it is good to offer help to them. This could be teachers, students, or someone they see being bullied. It is always good to help. (Don’t forget to tell them to sanitize after touching someone else’s objects as well).
S- Speak Up. Remind your students if they see anything that is bad, such as someone being bullied or being hurt, they need to speak up. They can choose to speak up to the bully themselves or get help from a nearby adult and let them know what is going on.
I-Include others. If your child sees someone eating or playing alone or looking sad, invite them to play or eat with them. Including someone can make their day go from bad to amazing, not to mention it is a great way to make new friends! (Do these things while social distancing of course!)
T- Talk the talk. Most kids want others to be nice to them, so remind your kids they have to treat others the way they want to be treated. If they expect others to be courteous to them, they need to talk to the talk and be the same towards others.
I-Influence others. One student standing up for what is right or standing against bullying can make a big impact on others around them. Tell your child to be a good influence on their friends and lead by example.
V- Value of kindness. Most kids know that being kind is a good thing, but do they know why? Have an open conversation with your kid and talk to them about why kindness is such a valued trait to have and why it is important to always be as kind as possible.
E- Encourage others. Encouraging people is an easy way to be kind. Most bullies like to tear people down and make them feel bad about themselves. If your child can speak encouraging words to others, they could turn the year around for a student who has been hurting during this time.
Having frequent conversations such as this one with your kids will make the school year go smoother! There is already so much madness going on with COVID that reminding your children to be kind throughout the year will make it better for students, teachers, and all faculty involved.
If you or anyone you know needs help with domestic violence please call us at 501-354-1884, our crisis line at 888-554-2501, or our Perryville location at 501-889-2030.
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