Teaching Children about Bullies: Back off Buzz!

Even at my age I still remember the moment the bully made fun of me. It was on a field trip. It took me a long time to move past that feeling of humiliation. Bullies can effect our view of ourselves in deep ways. Teaching children about bullies is a life skill they need to learn.

It prepares them to handle bullies. It also teaches them how to not be a bully! Back off Buzz! is a book that helps teach children how to handle bullies.

This post is sponsored by Thomas Bogle. All opinions are my own. Please view my disclosure.

My experience with a bully taught me a lot. When it comes to parenting, it taught me to be aware of what my children are saying to other kids. To listen to them when they tell me about their day and interactions with their friends.

We teach that you can dislike people. But, you are not to be unkind.

There are kids that are sometimes – or often – not kind. The natural tendency is to attack back. I try to teach my kids to walk away. Let them know what they are saying is not kind and then walk away.

Starting at a young age we must make our children feel loved and safe at home. We need to listen to them when they are sharing about their day. Telling them when they are wrong and praising them when they are right are important.

You will not harm your child’s self esteem by telling them they did something wrong. You will instill an internal compass of self-discipline.

There always has to be love and security involved. We cannot effectively discipline our children if they do not feel safe and loved in our home.

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Teaching Children About Bullies: Back Off Buzz! Book Review

You know I love using books to teach big concepts, life lessons and self-discipline to my children. It is a relatable approach to teaching positive values.

We can read books about handling bullies starting in preschool. When your child first experiences a bully, that is the time to talk about it.

Back off Buzz teaches the concept of identifying bullies.

I recently texted a mom-friend about a neighborhood kid bullying our kids. We discussed wanting our children to be forgiving, compassionate and understanding. But, I never want my children to just sit and take it, so to speak.

Just like the owl in Back off Buzz, my kids identified the bully at the playground. They told me about situations where they saw this child doing the wrong thing. He was repeatedly treating others badly.

After a few attempts at staying away from this child, they chose to speak up. They told him he was not being nice. They told him he was not the boss of the playground. Everyone had the right to play and be kind to one another.

Teaching children about bullies is a lesson in standing firm in what is right. We can unite with others and stand up to those who are not being kind.

After a brief time when this child stopped hanging out at the playground, he came back. His behavior was more positive then.

Reading Back Off Buzz teaches children to navigate dealing with bullies.

>>>Get a sneak preview of Back off Buzz HERE!<<<

I have featured so many great books for teaching life lessons to kids here on the blog. From learning to clean up well, to taking care of our emotions, to learning self-discipline and now handling bullying.

Kids gain so much from reading books that teach life lessons.

>>>Read all the book reviews here on the blog.<<<

Reading to our children even 15 minutes a day (1-2 children’s books or a chapter in a book) enhances their literacy. If we work in life lessons like identifying and handing bullies, that is another layer of learning built in to the mix.

Back off Buzz is packed with big lessons on children and bullying. From preschool to school age children, Back off Buzz, is a great story to review at the start of each new school year. It is a book to pull out if your child mentions that a child at school  is repeatedly unkind to others.

This book with its vivid illustrations, detailed illustrated characters, and relatable story will be a great read to share together as a family.

>>>Get your own copy of Back off Buzz here.<<<

Has your child experienced bullying? What techniques did you use to teach them to be resilient in that situation?

Enjoy your time at home!