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Discussion on Anti-Bullying Day

Our childcare dept is supporting Anti-Bullying day by holding conversations in our programs, and selling t-shirts (proceeds go to the Variety Club). The t-shirts are hot pink and are cool because they have a blank line for the children to write in how they will stand up against bullying. Our preschoolers were tasked with brainstorming ideas about bullying. We then filled out a paper t-shirt to post downstairs in the community centre. Check them out- they are taped to the glass of the fitness centre,

We opened up a discussion around bullying. I wasn't sure if the children were even familiar with this term, let alone understanding its complex undertones. As usual, they surprised me.

Here are a  few of the comments we heard when asked what they thought about bullying:

Chloe: Being bad, being mean.
Zev: Bad means being a bully, someone who is not nice.
Emily: Somebody tells you bad stuff.
Luca: Someone who points and laughs at the person.
Sidney: Makes people sad, when you say bad things about them.
Cash: If somebody hits somebody and makes them cry.
Alexa: Somebody points and laughs at me.
Loreli: When someone hits you, other people will feel sad.
Colin: If someone pushes you to the ground, that's bullying.
Brooke: Pushed on purpose.
Emily: When they say no boys allowed.
Zev: If someone pushes you off the swing.

I was so proud of our children- deeply thinking about others and how to be a good friend. Their ideas are simple and yet they really encompass all we need to know ( that reminds me of the book "Everything I needed to Know I learnt in Kindergarten"- so true!). I hope that these dialogues and opportunities to express our feelings will lead to peaceful relationships. Relationships based on respect and concern for humanity as a whole.These are good concepts for us all to think about. What will you do to stand up to bullying? How can you help your children deal with issues around bullying?

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