Little Bullies in Daycare

Steps Parents Can Take

Contact the Teacher: If you feel your child may be being bullied at daycare, your first step should be to contact your child's teacher and set up an appointment to talk with him. "First of all, find out if the teacher is even aware of the situation," says Dr. Solhkhah. "Most bullying occurs on playgrounds, cafeterias, or in secluded areas such as bathrooms. These are places where adult supervision is minimal, so the adults at school may not even know that the bullying is taking place. Simply bringing it to their attention may be enough to increase adult supervision and have the bullying stop."

Listen to Them: In order to help your child process the experience, it is helpful to just be a good listener. Being available and open to talking will go a long way to letting your child express her feelings. Give her an opportunity to try and problem solve and come up with a way to deal with the situation.

Don't Encourage Fighting Back: "Parents shouldn't encourage their child to fight back," says Dr. Solhkhah. "Instead, they should help the child focus on strategies to avoid the situations in which bullying is likely to occur. Parents can also 'coach' their child on how to handle the situation by letting them role play and practice what they could say to the bully the next time the bullying occurs." The simple act of standing up to the bully can positively affect the situation and help your child feel empowered.

The toddler years should be filled with the wonder of learning—being bullied is one lesson your child can do without.