to my son that he is going to bother the
wrong child one day and their parents
will come to the school to address him.
That approach was well received
compared to the time when a parent
contacted me while I was overseas and
told me that I need to talk to my son
because she is tired of him bullying her
son. The tone in her voice was clearly
one of aggravation; however I went
into complete defense mode while
still informing her that I will talk with
my son. Prior to that phone call, I had
not been informed of any incidents
between the two children.
Gather Information!
2
child,” or “if a child bullies my child,
I am beating up the child and their
parents.” Parents are providing con-
sequences to their children and like
me, encouraging good behavior every
day. That child may also be involved
in interventions at school and/or
community agencies.
Give a heads up!
If it is a parent that you are familiar
with, advise them that your child came
home with a complaint about their
child a couple of times this week and
you would like for that parent to talk
with their child. This reduces the
chances of the matter escalating.
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BERMUDA PARENT MAGAZINE
Reach out!
3
Contact the parents and use the
school to arrange a meeting if you
have to. I will never forget a parent
who requested to have a meeting with
myself, my son’s father and school staff,
as a result of his displeasure with my
son’s teasing of his daughter; rightfully
so. The meeting was very productive
and the parents came with a solution-
focused attitude. They wanted to
understand my son’s behaviors, his
personality and they offered to be of
any assistance, such as the father hav-
ing a chat with him about respecting
others. This suggestion I found to be
very helpful because I have always said
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I am the exact opposite of a, “not my
child,” parent, so oftentimes when I am
told of misbehavior I immediately get
on my son. Instead, it is better to speak
to the other child, other children
who may have witnessed the incident
if they’re present and the teacher/
staff. A parent reached out to me one
afternoon and asked me to speak with