How to Bully-Proof Your Daughters

When a policeman is in the line of duty, he often wears a bulletproof vest to protect himself from those who seek to do physical harm. But protection against bullying requires more than just a physical shield. Because bullying can be physical and emotional, you'll need to equip your daughters with the self-confidence and compassion required to bully-proof themselves from other children who look to hurt.

Instructions

    • 1

      Talk about bullying from a young age and listen carefully to what your daughter says about interactions with other kids. If you never talk about bullying -- physically or emotionally demeaning someone or making them feel scared -- your daughter may not recognize and act when she encounters the behavior.

      Take care to never brush off bullying concerns as "kids being kids." Take your daughter's feelings seriously and help her find a solution or step in if necessary.

    • 2

      Emphasize quality of friends over quantity of friends. As KidsHealth points out, bullies are less likely to target kids that travel in twos, and having a solid support group of two or three close friends can help your daughter feel more confident. You can encourage meaningful friendships by allowing friends to come into your home and getting to know them.

    • 3

      Assist your daughter in finding an interest, hobby or talent that makes her feel confident and unique, suggests clinical psychologist Lisa Firestone in an article for Psychology Today. Whether it's sports, art, the theater or academics, having an interest that makes her feel good about herself can protect your daughter from the low self-esteem that often accompanies bullying. This can make her less of a target and better equipped to deal with a bully's insults.

    • 4

      Monitor your daughter's online activity. Not all bullying happens at school, and it's all too easy for a bully to cause damage on social networking, chat rooms and even via text messages. Move your family computer into a common area of the home, have access to your daughter's online passwords, and be her friend on social media so you can step in if you notice the earmarks of cyber bullying, such as online stalking.

    • 5

      Model compassion on a regular basis, suggests Dr. Laura Markham of Aha! Parenting. By showing your daughter how to be confident and compassionate when dealing with other people -- being courteous to a cashier at the store, for example -- you set a good example for her own interpersonal relationships. Whether your daughter tends to be the bully or the bullied, modeling understanding and tolerance can better prepare your daughter to deal with others in both negative and positive scenarios.

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