Category: Raising Emotionally Healthy Kids

Young Volunteers Become Happy Adults

A great way to protect kids from bullying is to get involved with activities that strengthen self-esteem and self-respect. Volunteering is a great place to start. Kids feel good about themselves when they’re doing something good for others. Volunteers (and other kids with strong self-esteem) are more immune to teasing and bullying, less likely to …

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Permanent link to this article: https://bullyingepidemic.com/young-volunteers-become-happy-adults/

Damages: Bullying’s Long-Term Effects

You’d think a bullied child or teen has enough to deal with in the present, but new research shows that bullying can impact their lives well into the future – both legally and psychologically. Kids who are bullied repeatedly more likely to become bullies themselves, AND they’re also more likely to end up becoming criminals …

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Permanent link to this article: https://bullyingepidemic.com/long-term-effects/

Good Reads: Children’s Stories of Acceptance

One of my favorite childhood bedtime books was Gabrielle and Selena by Peter Desbarats. It’s the story of two girls who swap identities. Gabrielle goes to Selena’s home and Selena goes to Gabrielle’s. Their parents go along, calling Gabrielle “Selena” and vice versa. In the end, the girls realize they prefer being their true selves, …

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Permanent link to this article: https://bullyingepidemic.com/stories-of-acceptance/

When Sibling Rivalry Gets Ugly

If you have the average 2.2 children, you probably have 2.2 times the interfamily conflict: a.k.a. sibling rivalry. Those of us with siblings all have stories to tell – for better or worse. My brother and I got along pretty well, mainly because he’s seven years younger and spent most of his childhood outside. My …

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Permanent link to this article: https://bullyingepidemic.com/sibling-rivalry-gets-ugly/

The Far-Reaching Power of Forgiveness

When I was In Grade 2, my classmate David punched me in the stomach. Another classmate named David taunted me on my walks home from school. My parents spoke with taunting David’s parents, who apologized to me on their son’s behalf. I wasn’t convinced. I harbored bitterness for decades, including an irrational suspicion of boys …

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Permanent link to this article: https://bullyingepidemic.com/forgiveness/