Tip #3 to Future Parents of Kindergarteners

Always talk to your child. Make them feel comfortable to open up to you even if it is something bad. Ask more than yes/no questions. I personally ask JAM every day what his favorite thing about today was, and he's not allowed to use the same answer two days in a row (hehe). One day JAM came home telling me he was getting picked on in safekey, and my first instinct was to find that kid! haha. Can you blame me? Instead, I talked about it with him to help him find solutions to the issue. I'd sometimes see the issue in person and instead of stepping in to fix it, I pulled him aside to make him aware of the situation and guide him on how to fix it himself. It was something we struggled with on and off through the school year, but by the end he was good to go. The gift/curse about children is that they are so forgiving. Most of his "bullies" are some of his closest friends now oddly. He actually guided them how to be nicer and do the right thing instead of acting out and being mean. From that point on, we talk about everything. The good AND the bad. If I never asked or encouraged conversation, I probably would have never known about the issue. JAM even comes to me about other kids having issues in school too and what he should do. Take it day by day. It'll all work out if you give your child the right tools.

As far as Safekey goes, I know some of you may be concerned placing your child in an after school program, but the program is pretty great. They help the kids with their homework and they make is so fun for the kids that sometimes JAM asks me to put him in safekey even when he doesn't need to attend! I feel that it's also beneficial because JAM made friends with kids of all ages in safekey. I was always worried about the bigger kids messing with him, but he made friends with some of them in safekey, and they actually watch over him when they're in school. So don't be afraid to utilize the programs the school has to offer. Check out my other tips to future parents of kindergarteners: Tip #1,  Tip #2, and Tip #4.

Were any of you bullied in school? How would you handle the situation if you found out if your child was being bullied?