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Sissy Goff, director of child and adolescent counseling at Daystar, a kids and family counseling center in Tennessee, joins host, Carlos Whittaker, to talk about bullying, what it means in today’s age, and how we can help our kids navigate it in today’s episode of the Parent Cue Live podcast.

YOUR CUE

• Listen to the behaviors of your kids. Sometimes your children are feeling things they don’t have the words to explain and it’s our jobs to explore those feelings and support them. Stay in tune with your kids behaviors and emotions and start a conversation with them whenever something seems amiss.
• Empower your kids. Try not to fight every battle for your kids, but instead embolden them to fight their battles themselves. Help them come to their own conclusions on how to solve the situation.
• Help your kids identify who their biggest fans are. Our children need support and need to know they are loved despite any circumstances they may be facing. Remind them who the people are in their support system and remind them they are not alone.

EPISODE RECAP

October is National Bullying Prevention Month in the United States, and it’s a great reminder for parents to pause each year and consider the effect bullying may have on our kids or kids we know. Whether it’s a direct reality in our families, or simply something you’ve always worried about experiencing with your kids down the road, bullying is something we must all pay special attention to.

Because this is such an important topic, we are so glad we had the opportunity to sit down for a chat with Sissy Goff, director of child and adolescent counseling at Daystar, a kids and family counseling center in Tennessee. Sissy has dedicated her life’s work to researching and addressing anxiety, depression, bullying, and everything in between in kids and adolescents.

Signs parents overlook and how to address them

As parents, we sometimes overlook the signs our kids may be showing that tell us they’re being bullied at school. These signs include withdrawal from everyday activities, coming home a little more quieter than usual, and heightened anxiety on the evening before school resumes. Many times, our kids don’t have the words to express what’s weighing heavily on their hearts, and it’s up to the parents to listen to the behaviors of their kids and interpret their feelings.

That likely feels like a tall order, right? It’s natural if you feel this way. Thankfully, we have our friend, Sissy, share with us exactly what our next steps should be if we suspect our kids are being bullied at school:

Equip your kids with strength and kindness.

We must teach our children how to enforce their personal boundaries in a kind way, especially in the face of bullies. If they’re being bullied on the playground, for instance, you can encourage them to say, “I want to play with you, but I’m not going to if you continue to talk to me that way.”

Teach your kids how to handle conflict appropriately.

Since bullying is such a sensitive topic these days, parents tend to jump at the chance to end it quickly. However, Sissy says parents’ interference may be preventing kids from learning how to handle conflict well. It’s our role as parents to coach our kids to handle things themselves as much as they can and asking for help when necessary.

Empathize.

Being a kid is tough, and they’re dealing with some pretty hard stuff. Lead with questions and grace.

There’s so much to unpack in this episode, you don’t want to miss it. Sissy Goff also talks about what to do when your kid is the bully, how to address cyberbullying, and how to talk to another adult who has a kid you suspect is a bully. We can’t wait to hear your thoughts on this topic!

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MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE