Bullying
Since more than 70 percent of Canadian youth admit to experiencing bullying, discussing this topic with your kids is crucial. Whether you think your child may be a victim of bullying, or want to warn them of the potential harm their own words can have, Davies recommends asking lots of questions rather than jumping straight into problem solving.
Here are some questions Davies suggests as examples.
• “I was noticing there’s some kind of conflict with you and one of those kids on the playground. How are you feeling about that?
• “Have you told anyone about it?”
• “Do you feel you know how to handle it?”
Davies emphasizes parental support over solutions. “We really want to empower and equip our kids so that they can come up with solutions on their own,” she says.