Like many schools these days, we are lucky that CA is extremely vigilant in its own anti-bullying policy. That sort of behavior is simply not acceptable nor is it tolerated. That is a very good thing.
But not all bullying happens within the context of school activities or school acquaintances. All of our kids have outside social lives that can be affected by bullying as well—maybe through athletics, neighborhood relationships or even religious organizations. And while we hope that all of the character instruction they get at school will certainly carry over long past 3pm, it doesn't mean bullying can't or won't happen. Being practical, I always think it's helpful to have some tools in your parent "arsenal" to help us all manage troubling situations.
In that vein, I wanted to share a very cool new app called Awesome Upstander—yes, it does seem that there truly is an app for everything—a game module that explains how kids can handle bullies, as victims or bystanders, and gives parents some interesting tools to open up conversations about bullying.
And before you ask, my jaded fellow parents, I have no affiliation with this company and am not being compensated in any way by promoting this product. The software developers have geared this animated game for 9-14 year olds, but reviewers have used it with kids as young as five. I particularly like the information that is available for us grown-ups, including talking points and signs to look for if you are concerned that your kid is being targeted by a bully. Arguably just as important, both my seven- and nine- year old boys gave it two thumbs up on the fun factor.
You can check out Awesome Upstander at the itunes app store or at the android market. I certainly felt it was well worth the $.99.
Food for thought.
0 comments:
Post a Comment