If you've ever been bullied as a kid you felt disempowered. Sometimes those feelings can stick with you into adulthood. Do you have any disempowering beliefs from your past? How might it be effecting you today? If you feel disempowered, your kids will pick up on it. You can't have much confidence when you feel disempowered. You want to be able to protect your kids against bullies, but the first step in doing so is to get your own mind right. Is there any issue you still need to deal with?
Communication is key for protection against bullies. Most parents don't ask and most children won't tell. Good communication opens up bonds, which will in turn open up the heart. The more you communicate the more you can know all that is going on in your child's life. Ask yourself these two questions:
Is there anyway I have not been communicating well with my child?
How can I improve my communication?
When there is commitment creativity will follow. Get committed to communicating well with your child and you'll become creative in starting conversations. Developing closeness requires time, not just communication. We need great communication to protect our kids against bullies, bad philosophies of life, and countless other evils.
I had a talk with Super Coach Michael Burt who reminded us that if we aren't close with our kid someone else will be. The biggest amount of time your kid will spend away from you is at school. Do you know what's happening at your child's school? How can you protect them if you don't know what you are sending them to?
Jeff Kirk was Colorado Dad of the Year back in 2012 and he knows the value of taking the time—even if it's just one morning, to visit your son or daughter's elementary school. School doesn't have to just be a "mom" place. It may feel uncomfortable at first, but try to take at least an hour to visit the school, see the class and get an idea of what your son or daughter does each day. You can then visualize where they go each day and have better conversations about their school day. You will also have a better understanding of their perspective. Make no excuses to be ignorant on matters that you can easily find out about.
How can you visit your kid's school? Call ahead or just show up to the front office. Another option is the program All Pro Dad which is something more structured if you don't want to do something by yourself when it comes involving yourself at school.